


Found

by moymoy15



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Needs Love, Aged-Up Character(s), Best Friends, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Heartache, Let Adrien Agreste Eat, Mild Language, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square Angst, POV Multiple, Poor Adrien, Romance, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-05-04 09:07:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 30,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14589678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moymoy15/pseuds/moymoy15
Summary: Four years have passed. Ladybug and Chat Noir have managed to remain victorious and prevent their Miraculous from falling into the clutches of Hawkmoth for this long. But when a mysterious woman appears on the Dupain-Cheng boulangerie doorstep one fateful night, Marinette finds her world beginning to turn upside down. Little does she know that the life of the Agrestes will never be the same either.





	1. Another Akuma, Another Day

**Marinette’s Point of View**

 

“Chat, watch out!!” Ladybug yelled. Anxiety stole her breath, and she watched, too late to interject. Medusa, Hawkmoth’s most recent minion, hissed as she hurled a car with her serpentine hair at the leather-clad hero.

Chat dodged easily, a mischievous grin plastered on his face. “Aw, is M’Lady worried about her favorite kitty cat?” He teased, keeping his focus on the action. 

He wove around Medusa’s undulating trunk, whacking her with his baton and taunting her. “Hey, Gorgonzilla! I’m over here! I’m actually over here, reptile breath. Hah, you  _ imbécile, je suis ici! _ ” Medusa hissed, trying to make eye contact with Chat Noir. 

“Just keep her distracted,  _ chaton _ .” Ladybug instructed, rolling her eyes and smirking. “Lucky Charm!” Ladybugs swirled around in the sky, and a large metal disk materialized from thin air. She reached up and caught it, turning the spotted object around in her hands.

_ What the actual hell am I supposed to do with this? _ The disk resembled a Greek shield, and was quite shiny on the concave side.

Her Lady Vision kicked in and her eyes darted around for clues. Multiple edges and walls lit up, as well as Chat Noir’s baton, and her mind clicked. 

_ Of course! _

Ladybug noticed how this reincarnated Medusa avoided looking at reflective surfaces at all costs. She smiled, then taking the shield in both hands, she spun around and around, gaining momentum. She bade her time then released it, throwing the shield like a discus. She watched anxiously as the shield bounced off multiple surfaces, before the shield was headed straight for her partner.

“Now, Chat Noir!” As if they had rehearsed it, Chat turned around at just the right second before extending his baton and swinging at the shield, hitting it like a baseball. He hit it perfectly on the edge, and the shield spun toward Medusa.

She wasn’t paying attention, and she made eye contact with her own reflection. Medusa wailed in agony as her serpentine body slowly turned to stone, all except for the amulet that hung around her neck.

“Cataclysm!” Chat Noir charged Medusa, swiping at the cord of the amulet. Inky darkness spread over the pendant in seconds, before Ladybug ran and grabbed it, disintegrating in her hands. A black and purple butterfly emerged from the remains of the object.

“No more evil-doing for you, little akuma.” Ladybug opened her yo yo and captured the creature of darkness, successfully cleansing it. She tapped her yo yo once more and a set of pure white wings emerged.

“Bye bye, little butterfly. Miraculous Ladybug!” Ladybug tossed the spotted shield into the air, and a mass of the corresponding spotted beetles swirled around, returning everything to normal.

“ _ Bien joué!” _

__ Ladybug and Chat Noir spoke in unison as they bumped fists, high on adrenaline after the triumph. Despite it being a crazy Friday afternoon, Marinette could feel the adrenaline rush starting to wear off and the fatigue settling in.

As if on cue, her earrings bleeped, signaling her that she only had about 3 minutes left before she detransformed.

“And that means it’s time for me to split.” Ladybug stated, giving Chat Noir a knowing smile. “ _ À plus tard _ ,  _ chaton. _ ” She winked and threw her yo-yo to the nearest building.

“M’Lady,  _ attendez _ !” Chat called to her before she could swing out of there. Ladybug turned to face him, a questioning look upon her face.

“I was thinking. Since the weather is  _ purr _ -fect right now, and because I was so  _ paw _ -some back there, are you  _ feline  _ like going to go get some ice cream, or maybe watching a movie?” Chat puffed up his chest a bit and smirked, putting his hand on his hip and flexing his other arm, obviously impressed with the triple pun he delivered.

Ladybug laughed and rolled her eyes. “Yeah right, kitty. In your dreams.” she teased, reaching out and jingling the bell that hung at the base of his neck.

Chat’s ears perked up as she did this, and his tail flicked affectionately. 

“But really, I must get going.” She waved to Chat one last time before turning back around, pulling on the cord to propel herself up and over the rooftops.

 

* * *

 

As her feet landed, Ladybug smiled to herself. No matter how many times she did it (which was pretty much everyday), she would never get over the adrenaline coursing through her veins as she sprinted across the rooftops of Paris.

The feeling of the wind whistling in her ears and blowing through her hair as she swung on her magical yo-yo, weaving between buildings, was unlike any other.

As she threw her yo-yo from ledges to beams and made her way home, she found herself thinking back on all that had taken place over the past few years.

Marinette had possessed the miraculous of the ladybug for almost four years now. She had endured many battles, cleansed akuma after akuma, and saved countless lives. It was surprising that she had come this far. Ladybug really did bring good luck, and she was eternally grateful for it, but there seemed to be some boundaries to her luck. The identity of Hawkmoth was still unknown and she still had made no headway in terms of a relationship with Adrien, except for being a very good friend.

That last thought hit Marinette a little harder than she expected, and she ended up tripping before her last jump onto her balcony. She crash landed, near face planting on the deck of her balcony. 

She groaned in pain, and to make matters worse, she detransformed only a few seconds afterwards. The effects of the magic wore off and the pain doubled. Marinette rolled around, clutching her stomach, and Tikki materialized next to her face.

_ “I’m sorry Marinette, but you really should be more careful!” _ Tikki voiced her thoughts aloud, her big, dark blue eyes filled with sympathy.

“I know, I know.” Marinette groaned. “But it seems that my clumsiness follows me wherever I go, no matter how agile or coordinated I may be as Ladybug.” Marinette winced as she struggled to stand, hobbling her way over to the hatch that led down to her bedroom. She climbed down and plopped onto her bed. She gazed through her hatch, studying the stars beginning to appear in the late evening sky.

Tikki flew next to her and settled herself onto Marinette’s chest, dwelling on the silence for a bit before saying,  _ “Why don’t you ever give Chat Noir a chance, Marinette? You’ve known him for four years now, yet you still rebuff him. You don’t have any semblance of attraction toward him?” _

Marinette released a deep sigh before replying, “I’ve told you Tikki, I love Adrien and Adrien alone. Yes, I love and care about Chat, but not in that regard. Besides, Chat Noir is nothing but a huge, dorky flirt. I don’t think his affections toward Ladybug are actually real. My heart completely belongs to Adrien Agreste.” Which was true...for the most part.

Adrien was a constant shining light in Marinette’s world, and she loved him like he was the sun. He continued to amaze her with his kindness and warmth, how he was always willing to help his friends and how he excelled at everything he did: piano, fencing, academics. He had an iron grip on Marinette’s heart.

But then there was Chat Noir. Marinette didn’t dare admit this to anyone, even herself, but yes, Chat had managed to weasel his way into gaining some of Marinette’s affections. She had been dealing with his cat puns as Ladybug for years now, and although she first found them ridiculous and annoying, she now thought them as endearing and charming.

It was incredible how he was willing to put his own life in danger if it meant keeping her safe, and Ladybug would do exactly the same thing for him. That sort of thing created a strong bond between them, no doubt about it.

There had been countless times when Chat had almost died, and it reminded Ladybug each time how important Chat was to her. She liked to think that she could fight off akumas and Hawkmoth by herself, but the truth was that she just could not do it without Chat.

Not only was Chat’s dependability and loyalty endearing, Chat had also grown to be  _ extremely _ attractive in the past years. He’d gotten taller, his voice was deep and raspy. His hair had gotten longer and his golden locks hid his glowing eyes. He’d definitely gained more muscle. He was already pretty fit when she first met him, but his biceps had gotten bigger, his quads thicker, and Ladybug could tell he had serious abs, due to his form-fitting leather catsuit.

When he had flexed earlier, Ladybug could feel her face grow hot and the butterflies flare up in her stomach. She had to be careful not to stare too long. On multiple other occasions, she found herself checking him out when he wasn’t looking. Especially at his ass. He had a great ass. Marinette was actually a bit jealous.

Marinette shook her head a bit and brought herself out of her thoughts before they went any further. “I’m surprised you even asked about that sort of thing. You always tell me that I should know nothing about Chat Noir’s identity. Why the sudden interest?” Marinette looked down at the little red kwami.

_ “Haven’t you noticed how there have been less and less akuma possessions lately? Maybe Hawkmoth is starting to lose motivation.” _ Tikki shrugged, hope filled in her tiny voice. This role reversal was making Marinette’s head spin. Usually, it was Marinette that had bouts of curiosity and hopefulness, and Tikki was the one that was realistic and cautious.

“Maybe he is…” Marinette added, trailing off as she looked back up toward the sky. The sun had set and it was nighttime. Marinette felt the fatigue of crime fighting taking its toll, and she yawned. She kicked off her shoes, stretching into a more comfortable position. She looked at the clock on her wall.

9:34 p.m.

She removed her jacket and took out her pigtails, not worrying about changing into pajamas or brushing her teeth. She curled up and pulled the blankets over her. “Goodnight, Tikki.”

Marinette hardly heard Tikki reply,  _ “Goodnight, Marinette” _ and felt a tiny kiss on her cheek. Drowsiness enveloped her and she drifted off to sleep.

 

She removed her jacket and took out her pigtails, not worrying about changing into pajamas or brushing her teeth. She curled up and pulled the blankets over her. “Goodnight, Tikki.”

Marinette hardly heard Tikki reply, _“Goodnight, Marinette”_ and felt a tiny kiss on her cheek. Drowsiness enveloped her and she drifted off to sleep.


	2. Unplanned Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir should really pay attention to where he "patrols".

**Chat Noir’s P.O.V.**

 

    Chat felt his heart swell with affection as Ladybug reached over to ring his bell. He could just sense the sappy look he had on his face, but he couldn’t help it. He always melted underneath her touch. He sheepishly waved back as she swung away, leaving him alone on the Parisian streets.

    That elation left him as quickly as she had, and he began to feel the loneliness settling on his heart. It had been like that for years. It seemed no matter how many times or how hard he tried, Ladybug always rejected him. It was actually really discouraging and quite tiresome.

But there would always be something to make him want to keep trying to win her heart. There’d be a moment, a look, a smile, or a touch, and Chat would think maybe.

Just maybe.

    Chat sighed and put his hands back on his hips. He looked around, thinking of what to do next. The victim had already gone, and since Ladybug’s Cure always fixed everything, there was never any clean-up afterwards.

It was Friday night and he wasn’t ready to go back to that prison he called home just yet. He fetched his baton and vaulted himself over the rooftops. He decided to do go on a patrol, enjoy the freedom he got from being Chat Noir for just a while longer.

 

* * *

 

    Adrien didn’t imagine himself becoming a superhero when he found that strange octagonal jewelry box in his room all those years ago. He certainly didn’t anticipate the freedom that Chat Noir could give him.

Being a superhero was incredible, which was a vast understatement. Ever since his mom disappeared, his life had been nothing but miserable and cold. It felt like a giant black hole that just sucked the warmth and life out of everything. Then finally, his dad allowed him to go to school, and Adrien felt something he hadn’t in a long time: love. His mother’s disappearance had caused his father to shut everyone out, even Adrien.

It was understandable. Emilie was the love of Gabriel’s life. When she disappeared without a trace, walls were built faster than Adrien could realize, and the warmth that used to fill the Agreste mansion dissipated.

So when Adrien discovered the miraculous of the black cat, it provided an escape he desperately needed. To become someone else completely, to become someone that people needed and depended on… it made Adrien feel like his life had meaning.

He wasn’t just a wasted space. He wasn’t just some nuisance that needed to be dealt with. He was important.

Then he met Ladybug, and that made his time as Chat Noir ten times better. He was blown away by her bravery and her strength. That fateful day on the _Pont d'Iéna_ , watching her dispel the horde of butterflies that hovered above the Eiffel Tower was unbelievable. Just a few minutes before, she was doubting herself and her efforts, but then she turned around and answered Hawkmoth’s threat.

She had a fire in her eyes, and maybe that was what had set Adrien’s heart ablaze. He’d been a sucker for her ever since.

 

* * *

 

Chat came out from being delved in his thoughts and landed on a roof. When he took in his surroundings, he realized he had landed on the building next to Marinette’s house without thinking.

 _Ohhh, seems like our little Adrien has another crush besides his beloved Ladybug._ Adrien heard Plagg’s voice in his mind, teasing him. He could almost feel the kwami’s little paws poking at the insides of his head.

“Shut up, Marinette is just a friend.” Chat voiced aloud as he leapt onto her balcony. He walked over to the hatch leading down to her bedroom and realized it was still open.

He crouched and peered inside to find Marinette curled up, sleeping peacefully with her arms wrapped around a pillow. Upon seeing this, Chat felt his stomach do little flips, and a warmth spread throughout his chest.

He reached up to press his hand to his heart and he smiled.

 _She’s so cute_. He thought to himself.

 _I heard that_. Plagg answered back. Chat scowled inwardly at Plagg before turning his attention back to Marinette.

He had grown quite close to her over the past years. After that night when Glaciator attacked, he found himself wanting to spend more and more time with her. They had connected with each other through their heartache and it was oddly comforting to know someone else was hurting the same way he was.

Chat enjoyed the time he had with Ladybug, of course, but it was nice to be fully himself around someone. Chat was still holding back to some degree whenever he was around Ladybug. He obviously wanted to impress her.

But it was different with Marinette. He didn’t have to worry about impressing her. She always accepted him for who he was, listened to him when he needed it, and never rejected him. He was totally, and unapologetically himself with her, and he loved that.

He only wished that were true in his civilian form. He really wanted to get to know Marinette as Adrien, but for some reason, she always seemed skittish around him, almost like she was intimidated or afraid of him.

That kind of hurt sometimes.

He wasn’t that intimidating, was he?

Adrien knew that he was a teen model and his father was one of the top fashion designers in the world and...okay, maybe he was a bit intimidating in that regard, but to him, that just meant that Marinette was like everyone else.

She saw him as the picture perfect poster boy with the perfect life, so he should be treated delicately. Adrien really hoped that wasn’t the case, and he didn’t believe it either.

But whenever he saw her as Chat, she was herself also, and Adrien was able to see what a wonderful person Marinette was. Kind, passionate, generous and driven, she had so many wonderful abilities and talents. Chat kind of felt like he was bamboozling her, peeking into her private life like this without her knowing fully who he was.

It didn’t help that Marinette was also painfully gorgeous. It seemed that she became more beautiful with each visit Chat paid her. While Ladybug had a bold, fierce demeanor, Marinette went about her life with a quiet but striking beauty.

Light brown freckles were sprinkled across the bridge of her nose and cheeks, and her porcelain skin contrasted beautifully with her dark hair. It was black, but there were times when Adrien could’ve sworn that he saw a glint of midnight blue.

She had the pinkest of lips, and no matter how many times he heard it, he didn’t believe anyone’s lips could be that pink without the aid of makeup. Behind those lips was a mesmerizing smile. Marinette’s smile could brighten anyone’s day.

Her eyelashes were impossibly long and just underneath them were those eyes. Those bluebell eyes. He had never seen that shade of blue in anyone else’s eyes but Marinette’s. Marinette’s and Ladybug’s, actually. Her eyes resembled His Lady’s so much, it was dizzying.

Adrien had also noticed how shapely she was. Whereas celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Nicki Minaj got work done to achieve that hourglass look, Marinette was just born with it. It had gotten more prominent over the years, and Adrien was often caught checking her out by Nino. He was glad he was able to do it some more whenever he visited as Chat. He wondered what it would be like to just grab her by the waist, pull her close and…

Chat shook his head, pushing away any inappropriate thoughts. He tried to stand up but unfortunately for him, he was standing on his tail. He stumbled and tried to regain his balance, but he ended up spinning around and falling through the hatch.

Right onto a slumbering Marinette.

Luckily, his cat-like reflexes kicked in and he was able to avoid completely crushing her. Unluckily, he was now straddling her, his hands on either side of her head. She had shifted just a moment before and she was on her back, her arms above her head. This only drew attention to her bust. Chat felt that warmth travel to his face, and he became uncomfortably hot.

Chat’s eyes widened and with his night vision, he saw Marinette’s eyes flutter then open slowly to find a very nervous superhero staring back down at her.

Bad luck always seemed to follow this alley cat.


	3. Hearts Hidden In Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else notice how much deeper conversations become the later it gets in the night? How people are more in their feels at night?  
> Here's some Marichat for y'all ;)

**No One’s P.O.V.**

 

Neither of the two teenagers moved a muscle for a 10 second count, though it seemed like an eternity, with Chat trying to swallow the nervous lump in his throat, and Marinette trying to remember how to breathe again.

“Ummm, I can explain…” Chat said slowly, still not retreating from his current position. Marinette watched him with wide eyes, trapped underneath Chat’s demeanor and glowing green orbs.

“Chat Noir...wh-what are you d-doing here?” Marinette stammered, feeling very vulnerable. She didn’t dare ask the obvious question:  _ Why are you on top of me, in my bed, in the middle of the night, while I’m asleep? _

“W-well, I was patrolling the area after Ladybug fixed everything from the recent akuma attack, and I was thinking about something, then before you know it, I had landed next to your building, then I noticed that your hatch was open and I was going to close it, but then I tripped over my own tail like an idiot and fell through and landed on top of you then you woke up, and now here we are haaaaahhh…” Chat’s words tumbled out of his mouth, his face burning with embarrassment. He could feel his palms starting to sweat. 

He screamed at himself internally,  _ Why aren’t you moving, you idiot? You already look like a major pervert, get off of her! _

Chat’s eyes were darting around, looking everywhere but her, but when he did look back down at her, he could see the shade of bright red that adorned her face. Against his will, Chat thought about how cute she looked. He then scolded himself for thinking about that sort of thing right then.

Marinette’s quiet voice brought him out of his thoughts, “Um, could you, like, get off me please? You’re kinda heavy.” Her hands had moved in front of her chest, clasped together, hoping to somewhat cover herself from those feline eyes.

“Yes, yes, of course, I’m sorry.” Chat scrambled to get off her, and he scooted back all the way to the end of her bed, nearly falling off the edge. It boggled his mind how all sense of coordination and cool seemed to leave him whenever he was around Marinette.

Marinette sat up like a vampire rising from a coffin, watching the kitty-cat’s actions with careful eyes.. She finally exhaled, not realizing that she had been holding her breath.

They both sat there, an uncomfortable silence looming over their heads. Neither of them could make eye contact, their eyes looking everywhere but the other. When they did look at each other, they looked away even quicker, their faces going through each imaginable shade of red.

“So… are you sure you don’t, like, need anything?” Marinette whispered. Why was it so hot in here? She wished she could throw off her blanket to cool down. She wasn’t sure what kind of message that would send to Chat.

“Well, not in  _ purr _ -ticular, but now that you mention it, I have been meaning to stop by. I missed my Princess.” Chat looked up at Marinette. He hadn’t intended on visiting her tonight, but he was planning on paying her a visit. It seemed that tonight was the perfect opportunity, considering that he was feeling lonelier than he usually did.

Marinette chuckled at his cat pun, and with that, the tension cleared. “I was wondering when I’d see you again,  _ chaton _ . It’s been a while.” It had been almost a month since she last saw Chat as Marinette.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that, Princess. I just…” Chat started, looking up at the stars through the hatch before laying down on his back and continuing, “I thought I was making some progress with the girl I like. I thought she was beginning to like me back, but… tonight… she just reminded me that it was all in my head. I was seeing what I wanted to see, believing what I wanted to believe. She was just being friendly. She wasn’t flirting back. Of course she wasn’t flirting…”

Ladybug had always made it a point to keep things strictly professional between the two of them. But lately it just seemed like she was being extra flirty. Ladybug was always quick to return witty comments and engage in playful banter, and Chat thought those antics had become more affectionate in the past two months.

“So I figured that if my relationship with her was going to go somewhere, I shouldn’t visit you as much, but I guess not, since nothing’s happened…” Chat tried not to let the sadness creep into his voice.

He looked over at Marinette and she was listening intently, her eyes on him the entire time. He loved how easy it was to talk to her. She was a great listener, and always had the best advice.

Marinette, on the other hand, was lost in her thoughts.  _ “I thought she was beginning to like me back, but… tonight… she just reminded me that it was all in my head.”  _ Was Chat talking about Ladybug? Was Ladybug the one that Chat had a crush on? Marinette realized that she had been staring at him for too long without saying anything. She took a deep sigh before replying.

“So this girl you have a crush on…” Marinette glanced down at her hands in her lap. “Is it Ladybug?” she raised her eyes to look at him through her eyelashes. She could feel the blush beginning to reform on her cheeks.

Chat chuckled lightly, putting his arm over his eyes. “Is it that obvious? Yeah… I’ve got it bad for her.”

Marinette’s heart clenched in her chest.

“Ever since the first day I met her, I was just blown away by how awesome she is. She’s strong, fearless, intelligent, and just an amazing leader. One of the best things I love about her is her sass. That, paired with her intellect and stubbornness makes for some amusing playful banter. I just love the relationship I have with her. She and I are so close. I trust her with my life and I know it’s the same for her. I really want to start something with her.” She watched him as he listed the things he liked about her superheroine alter ego, and she smiled. The adoration was evident on his face.

“Ah, but she obviously isn’t interested in me. I’ve known this for almost 5 years now and yet I’m still trying. I’m a fool, aren’t I?” Chat chuckled again, but this time there wasn’t any humor. Marinette’s smile faded and she felt bad for Chat. 

_ I can’t believe, after all this time, his affections toward Ladybug were real. He wasn’t just being a playboy, he meant it all. _ Marinette felt terrible, but granted, she’d had a major crush on Adrien for years now.  _ Oh, Chat. I’m sorry. If I hadn’t fallen for Adrien, I definitely would’ve fallen for you. _

But was Chat Noir really in love with Ladybug? Or just the idea of her?

Chat Noir knew nothing about the girl underneath. He knew nothing about how Marinette really was. That she was insecure, timid, clumsy, and made mistakes as often as she breathed. Chat Noir didn’t know that Marinette constantly dealt with a bully, and most of the time, Marinette couldn’t stand up for herself. Chat Noir didn’t understand that Ladybug was just a facade to who Marinette really was. Ladybug was the epitome of who Marinette aspired to be: confident, fearless, intuitive, clever, quick, coordinated, a leader, and Marinette possessed none of those qualities.

Chat looked over at Marinette and saw her face contorted into a scowl. “But don’t let this be all about me and my problems. Princess. Is everything alright with you?” Chat called to her. She looked up at him, surprised. “Is there anybody you have a thing for?”

“Ahhhh…” Marinette’s face glowed bright red in the dark. That much Chat could see without his night vision. “Yes… there is… someone I have a crush on…” Marinette replied as softly as she could, playing with a strand of her hair. Chat heard her anyway.

“I’m guessing it’s Adrien Agreste?” Chat assumed, trying hard not to smirk. Marinette’s head snapped up, her eyes wide.

“HOW DID YOU-” Marinette began to screech before clearing her throat, “How did you know that?!” Marinette never told anyone about it except for Alya, Rose, Juleka, Mylene, and Alix. Though she had a creeping suspicion that Alya had told Nino that one day she locked them up together in a cage at the zoo.

“Cat’s intuition.” Chat replied, closing his eyes and shrugging. He opened one eye to find a doubtful Marinette staring back at him. “Hahaha, no, I just guessed, due to all the pictures of him on your walls. I think I’ve even seen one of him in a picture frame on your desk…” he confessed, looking around at his alter ego plastered on the walls.

“Oh, yeahhhhh, that, hah.” Marinette was so embarrassed. Of course he noticed, how could he not? Marinette’s collection of Adrien’s picture had grown significantly in the past years, especially since he started doing more mature photoshoots. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

“Okay, I’ll tell you, but you can’t tell anyone else. Yes, I have a MAJOR crush on Adrien Agreste.” Marinette squeezed her cat pillow, smiling to herself at the thought of the love of her life.

“Ah, so I was right.” Chat shifted to lay on his side. He propped his head up on his right hand to see her better. “So what is it about Mr. Front-of-the-Cover Teen Model Weekly that has captured the heart of my Princess?” The words tasted bitter in his mouth as he spoke of his lesser half, but Chat was genuinely interested to hear the first thing she was going to list.

“For your information, his looks are not the reason that I fell for him. It’s just that he’s one of the nicest people I know,” Marinette started, smiling down at her hands. This took Chat by surprise, and the smug look on his face disappeared.

“He’s also generous, smart, honest, and he’s always willing to help others. He is so good at everything he does. He’s one of the top students in my class, he’s the best in his fencing club, and I know he’s amazing at piano. Well, I haven’t heard him play, but I would love to get the opportunity. It just so happens that he’s so attractive. He’s just so perfect to me.” Marinette held he hands together up to her chest and she looked up through the hatch and at the stars. If she was lucky, a shooting star would fly by and she could make a wish.

Chat felt touched. Marinette hadn’t caught feelings for Adrien because of his looks, but because of his personality. But she was still blinded by everything else, fooled like the rest of the world was.

She was in love with a mask, one that was much less literal than the one on his face at the moment. She was in love with the image that had been carefully built by his father. She was in love with this perfect little boy that did everything he was told, said everything that he was supposed to say, and had not one original thought of his own. 

She only thought he was perfect because that’s exactly what his father wanted the world to see. No one knew that underneath all the photoshoots and the designer clothes and the smiles, there was a lonely kid who had lost his mother, then lost his father shortly thereafter, and he felt completely alone in this world.

No would ever guess that Adrien Agreste, rich, handsome, super famous teen model was actually suffering from depression and self-loathing.

“...ah, but he’s way out of my league. He’d never notice me.” Marinette had just finished talking, and that last part snapped Chat back to reality. He frowned even deeper and looked over at Marinette.

Chat didn’t believe his ears, both human and cat. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure I heard you correctly. Did you say that Adrien Agreste is out of  _ your _ league?”

“Of course he’s out of my league. He’s a famous teen model, and his father is a world renowned fashion designer and he’s super rich and popular, and I’m… none of those things.” Marinette voiced the reality of it all and just brought discouragement upon herself in the process.

“I beg to di- _ fur _ , Princess, but I would say  _ you  _ are out of Adrien Agreste’s league.” Chat sat up and scooted closer to Marinette, looking her dead in the eyes.

“And how would you know that,  _ chaton _ ?” Marinette asked playfully, ringing the bell around his neck. Before she could lower her hand, Chat reached up and grabbed it gently. She stopped and looked up to receive glowing, emerald green eyes staring back.   
“Because I know you, Marinette.” Chat placed his other gloved hand on her shoulder.

“I’m telling you right now, you are extremely beautiful. I’d even say you rival Ladybug’s beauty. In a lot of ways, you’re more beautiful than her. You’re also really talented. I’ve seen some of your designs, and they’re all unique and creative. I know you’ve impressed Gabriel Agreste on several accounts, so I’m not just saying that. You have some serious skill.” Marinette smiled at this.

“You’re also one of the sweetest people I know. You always put other people’s needs before your own. You make a mean macaron, and you give some of the best advice, and that’s coming from an alley cat that often needs a lot of advice. Don’t doubt yourself, Marinette. You hold more cards than you realize.”

Chat spoke from the heart, not once breaking eye contact with her, not once letting go of her hand. His other hand had rested on her shoulder, and through the darkness, he could see that tears had begun to form in her eyes.

They sat there for a few seconds, no words passing between them. Marinette looked at the superhero before her, and his eyes had softened.

Marinette’s heart pounded in her chest, and Chat’s breathing had stopped. He still held her hand, and the other had moved up to the back of her neck. Marinette noticed Chat’s eyes glance back and forth between her eyes and her mouth.

Marinette held her breath as he leaned in and carefully pulled her closer. She wasn’t sure if he was pulling her closer or if that was her body moving on its own. His eyes were almost half closed, but they stayed on her parted lips. Marinette felt her eyes close.

She couldn’t breathe. She could feel his breath tickling her lips.

He almost kissed her before Marinette snapped out of her haze and pulled back, placing her free hand on his chest. She pushed him away gently, realizing how inappropriate this whole thing would be. For a second, she felt a rapid beating in his chest, almost faster than her own heartbeat.

“It’s… really late, Chat Noir.” She looked away and checked the time.

1:49 a.m.

“You should probably go…” Chat’s face mirrored her own, as slight disappointment settled on the mask,  but she knew this wasn’t right… was it?

Chat tried not to feel upset. He knew that he shouldn’t be doing that anyway. But damn, he really wanted to feel her lips against his. He could tell just by looking at them how soft they were going to be, but she was right. He needed to go.

He let out a small sigh, intertwining a small strand of hair between his clawed fingers before dropping his hand from her neck. “You’re right, I should leave.” Chat reluctantly let go of her warm hand and stood. He jumped through the hatch and onto the balcony with ease.

“I’ll see you out.” Marinette stood with him, reaching up to grab Chat’s hand from above. She hoisted herself up and followed behind him to the edge of the balcony.

Chat stopped at the railing before turning around and smiling at her. He pulled a red rose out of nowhere and presented it to her, bowing deeply, still looking at her straight in the eyes.

Marinette carefully received the rose, watching Chat Noir stand upright. He was much taller than she was, and he towered over her. 

He stepped closer and whispered in her ear, “Remember what I said, Princess. You hold more cards than you realize.” He pulled back to kiss her gently on the cheek. “ _ Au revoir, ma belle. _ ” He swept his leg behind him and made a grand gesture of bowing one last time. He then extended his baton, vaulting himself over the Seine and into the night.

Marinette looked down at the rose, certain that her face was the exact same shade. She took deep breaths and held her hand over her chest, trying desperately to calm the rapid drumming of her confused, torn heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i also just realized that for some reason, parts that are supposed to be italicized are not, so i apologize for that, i'll try to see if i can add in italics


	4. Well, This Is A New Feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is Adrien falling for Marinette first? Or is Ladybug going to catch feelings for Chat before that? The world may never know (as in i haven't made up my mind about it yet)

**Adrien’s P.O.V.**

 

It was Sunday evening, a couple days after Chat visited Marinette’s house, and Adrien could not stop thinking about that night. He laid in bed and looked up at the ceiling, vaguely aware of Plagg munching away rather noisily on a slice of camembert.

Even though he had been wearing gloves, he could still feel the ghost of her silky hair on his fingers. Adrien held up his hand to look at it, turning his hand around as if her hair was still there for him to examine. So soft… 

He licked his lips a bit. Despite being denied so, his mouth was still waiting for the sensation of her lips against his. It aggravated him a bit that she had pushed him away, but he understood why she did. Damn, did it make him want her more, though.

Adrien shook his head and slapped himself a few times in the face. How could he be having these thoughts?! He had sworn to himself years ago that he would stay loyal to His Lady, to love her and only her, even if she didn’t reciprocate his feelings. He would stand by her side in all things and protect her with his life.

But he couldn’t help it.

While Adrien still felt that way about Ladybug, he had begun to feel something for Marinette also, even more so as of late. It was always fun to play around with his crime-fighting partner, but the wall of professionalism she’d built was infuriating sometimes.

With Marinette, she was open and warm. She shared her thoughts and feelings with him and he could share his. Sure, there were times where he and Ladybug would sit and talk about things, but it was very occasional, and the limited topics tended to be quite vague.

Adrien rubbed his face rigorously before throwing his hands up and letting them drop on either side of him, feeling hopelessly lost. He was about to continue stressing over his love life before a tiny voice interrupted his thoughts.

_ “Stop being a little bitch and get over yourself kid! Get up and  _ do something _. You’ve been stuck inside your room for two days now, and while I would usually enjoy sitting around, it’s nauseating to see you so love sick over a girl. For once, I actually want to go out and do something!” _ Plagg complained from Adrien’s desk, his tiny mouth still filled with globs of camembert. Adrien lifted his head to glare at Plagg.

“If I go out as Chat Noir right now, I’m definitely going to end up at her house again, and I can’t deal with that! I need time to think.” Adrien retorted, dropping his head back onto his pillow. He wished he could just sink into his bed and forget about everything for a while.

_ “YOU’VE BEEN THINKING FOR TWO DAYS, YOU LITTLE BITCH. DON’T YOU THINK THAT’S MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME?” _ Plagg hollered, flying over and hovering just above Adrien’s face to try to stare him down.

“DON’T PRESSURE ME RIGHT NOW. I’M UNDER A LOT OF STRESS AS IT IS. I DON’T NEED YOUR ATTITUDE. AND STOP CALLING ME A LITTLE BITCH.” Adrien screamed back, no real anger in his words.

_ “Come on, kid. At least now you know why that Marinette chick is always so nervous around you. It’s because she has a major crush on you! And I could tell by the way you were looking at her the other night that you’re starting to feel the same way.” _ Plagg settled himself on top of Adrien’s knee, his tail swaying back and forth lazily.

“But I love Ladybug! I don’t know what to do.” Adrien groaned, not believing that he was hearing love advice from the kwami that always gagged at any sign of affection.

_ “You know, Adrien… it is possible to love more than one person, and it’s okay.” _ the purplish black kwami tilted his head, looking right through Adrien with his big green eyes. Adrien lifted his head, not sure of what the kwami just said.

Plagg continued,  _ “How about you give this girl a chance? I think it’d be really good for you to have someone like her in your life, and besides, it’s not like you’d be hurting Ladybug in any way, since she doesn’t seem to have the same feelings for Chat Noir.” _

Plagg’s advice was almost decent until that last part, and Adrien groaned again, feeling as though Plagg’s words had punched him in the gut. “You’re terrible at love advice.” Adrien replied.

He reached up to clap his hands, effectively turning the lights off. Adrien removed his shirt and rolled over to cover himself with his blankets, forcing Plagg to get off his knee.

_ “What? What did I say?” _ Plagg was completely oblivious to how painfully true his words were about Ladybug. Adrien decided to ignore him, shutting his eyes tight. _ “I thought my advice was pretty good…” _ Plagg mumbled to himself before flying over to his designated spot on the pillow next to Adrien’s head.  _ “Whatever, sleep tight, kid.” _

Adrien still stayed silent, his back turned to his kwami. After about 20 minutes, Adrien could hear Plagg snoring loudly, and he opened his eyes. Adrien rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling replaying Plagg’s words in his mind.  _ Why don’t you give this girl a chance? I think it’d be really good for you to have someone like her in your life. _

Adrien really wanted to get to know Marinette as Adrien, not just as Chat Noir. Adrien still wasn’t sure about encouraging Marinette to pine after Adrien. He was still very much in love with Ladybug, but he did want to get closer to Marinette, at least just as a friend…

For now.

Adrien finally closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. The last thing he remember thinking… maybe the reason why Adrien was so hesitant to get closer to Marinette… was because he was afraid that those feelings were strong enough to change his feelings for  _ her _ .

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Adrien walked into his classroom, strolling over to his desk. He sat down next to Nino, placing his bag on the floor next to him. “Morning, Nino.” he greeted his best friend, bumping fists with him.

“Morning, dude. Hey, you alright? You look like you haven’t gotten much sleep lately.” Nino crossed his arms in front of him & leaned on them, resting on the desk. Nino always knew Adrien best. His best friend could read his mood in the blink of an eye, and Adrien knew better than to try and hide whatever was going on.

At least most of the time.

“Heh, yeah, I was really busy this weekend. Had a lot going on, but don’t worry, I’m fine, promise.” Adrien told Nino as much as he could without revealing anything. It really sucked not being able to tell your best friend everything, but Adrien knew it was better that way.

“All right, man, just remember not to push yourself too hard. Take it easy every now and then.” Nino’s smile was laced with sympathy, and he clapped Adrien on the back. Adrien smiled, grateful for such an awesome friend.  _ Mlle. _ Bustier walked to the front of the room and started writing on the board.

Then Marinette ran in the room, right as the bell rang.

Adrien turned his head and saw Marinette. He felt his heart start beating a little faster than it was before. Marinette must have been running extra late today, as her usual pigtails were missing, and her long, midnight blue locks hung loosely around her shoulders.

Adrien felt his jaw drop slightly as he watched Marinette hurry by, quickly greeting Nino, Adrien, and Alya in succession. Adrien watched her the whole way, his mouth still slightly ajar. He could smell her scent as the wind that followed her blew past Adrien’s nose.

Freshly baked bread, vanilla, cinnamon, and a faint scent of lavender. The lavender caught him by surprise, but holy shit, she smelled amazing.

“Hey, girl, you’re here on time for once. Well, sort of.” Alya greeted Marinette, an amused look just behind her glasses.

“Ah, I woke up late and hardly had time to eat breakfast. I couldn’t even do my hair.” Marinette whined, placing her hands on top of her head and shrinking into her seat.

“Don’t worry about it, girl, it looks super cute! You should wear it down more often.” Alya smiled at Marinette, reaching out and playing with her hair a bit. Alya noticed Adrien still staring at Marinette, and she smirked.

She leaned over and nudged Marinette. “Seems like I’m not the only one who thinks so. Liking what you see, Adrien?” Alya laced her fingers in front of her and propped her elbows on the desk, raising one eyebrow. A mischievous smile played upon her lips. 

“Uh-uhhh, yeah! Yeah, Marinette, it’s nice to see a change every once in a while. You look good.” Adrien tried his best to get the words out clearly. He smiled at Marinette, and he could see a rosy glow spread across her face. Adrien turned back around and focused his attention on the desk, a matching blush forming on his face.

Nino reached over and whapped Adrien in the arm. Adrien flinched and looked over at him. Nino held up his hands as if to say,  _ Dude, what the hell was that? _ Adrien raised his eyebrows and shrugged, replying with his own body language.  _ What? Don’t worry about it, I’ll tell you later. _ Nino raised his own eyebrow, suspicion flashing across his eyes. But Nino decided to let it go for now, and he started listening to  _ Mlle _ . Bustier’s lecture.

Adrien pressed his hand to his heart, and he smirked as he heard Marinette whisper screaming to Alya “OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH, ALYA DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?” Alya chuckled and told Marinette to calm down. Ugh, she was so damn cute.

Okay, Adrien was going to do it. He was going to get closer to Marinette, learn about her personality and her quirks, learn about her hobbies and things she was passionate about, all as Adrien. Not as Chat Noir. He was going to ask her out.

 

* * *

 

Class let out, and students were filing out of the school, going home for lunch. Adrien walked out of the front doors and stood at the top of the steps, scanning the crowd for that familiar dark blue hair. He spotted Marinette making her way to the crosswalk, chatting with Alya and laughing. Adrien stopped for a second and watched her features carefully as she laughed.

Wow.  


He was about to run down the steps and talk to her, but Nino stopped him, pulling on Adrien’s left shoulder and yanking him back. “Dude, what was up with that back there?” Nino positioned himself in front of Adrien, preventing him from walking any farther. He crossed his arms and took a stance. It reminded Adrien of a particular gray wizard. Something about not being able to pass...

“Hah, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Adrien fibbed, reaching up and placing his hand on the back of his neck to rub it nervously. He feigned a laugh, avoiding eye contact with Nino. Adrien felt his face growing hot.

“Oh no, you know exactly what I’m talking about, don’t lie to me. You went totally slack-jawed when you saw Marinette walk in this morning! You were totally checking her out, it was like you couldn’t keep your eyes off her!” Nino protested, poking Adrien lightly in the middle of his chest. Adrien was pressing his tongue to the inside of his cheek, trying not to smile. He looked away and bit his lip. “Ah hah! Look, right there, that’s what I’m talking about!” Nino moved his finger up to Adrien’s face and pointed to his expression, starting to laugh.

“Okay, okay, fine, you got me. Just keep it down will ya?” Adrien slapped Nino’s hand away, hooking his arm around his best friend’s shoulder. He pulled Nino down and glanced around to make sure no one else could hear their conversation.

“So what, you got a thing for Marinette now?” Nino whispered, holding up his hand up by his mouth as if he was the one telling Adrien a secret.

“I don’t know yet, man, but could you just keep this to yourself for now, until I’m sure of myself?” Adrien lifted his head and looked behind him, wondering if Marinette had made it back to her house yet. She was standing at the crosswalk, waiting for the light to change. “I was just about to ask her out…” Adrien added, without even thinking about it.

“Oh damn, then don’t let me stop you!” Nino ducked his head out from under Adrien’s arm and shoved Adrien towards the edge of the steps. Adrien nearly lost his balance and he stumbled down the stairs. He glared back at Nino and Nino was waving his hands away, calling out, “Go on! Go get her!” Nino was beaming like he was a proud father, watching his son grow up. Adrien held up a finger to his lips, motioning for Nino to be quiet before turning and running after Marinette and Alya.

“Hey, Marinette! Wait up!” Adrien called after her, waving his hand back and forth to try to catch her attention. Marinette and Alya turned around and faced Adrien as he ran up to them. The smile on Marinette’s face grew, and that lovely shade of pink reformed across her cheeks. Alya crossed her arms and rolled her eyes in amusement.

“Hi, A-Adrien, is the what up? I MEAN- where’s the how going? I MEAN- how’s it up? I MEAN-” Marinette stumbled over her words, trying to form a correct sentence, but visibly failing. She was freaking adorable when she was flustered.

Alya chuckled and placed a hand on her best friend’s shoulder before interjecting, “What she means to say is, what’s up, or how’s it going?” Marinette nodded her head vigorously in agreement, still smiling. Her bluebell eyes sparkled with excitement.

Adrien laughed, his amusement matching Alya’s. “I’m good, and I, um, just wanted to talk to you, Marinette.” Adrien’s hand returned to the back of his neck and he lowered his head a bit, looking at the ground.

“Oh, yeah sure, what do you want to talk to me about?” Marinette asked eagerly. It was obvious that she was elated to be talking to him, but she was trying her hardest to act calm, cool, and collected.

He ran his hand through his blond hair before looking back up at Marinette through his eyelashes. “Well, I want to do a photoshoot, but none of the stylists my father always assigns me have what I’m looking for, so for the first time ever, my father is letting me choose my own stylist.” 

“Oh, that’s awesome!” Somehow, Marinette’s face lit up even more upon hearing this. “So do you need me to do something for you, or?” Her asking that made this so much easier for him. 

Adrien kicked his foot at nothing as he continued, “Okay, so I know you’re into fashion, and I figured that maybe you could possibly help me out in choosing a stylist, or maybe I could even check out some of your work.” Marinette’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped a bit.

“I was wondering if you’d like to get together for coffee sometime and go over it?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if the format is too difficult or crowded to read, please let me know, or tell me how to fix it. I just joined AO3 and but I'm excited to share my fanfic lmao


	5. The Visitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> slight Adrinette fluff, and the main reason for this fanfiction ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i realized how short my chapters are in comparison to other fanfictions, so this will be the longest chapter to date. it is difficult to write so much without feeling like i'm droning on. i often feel like i talk too much and that transfers to my writing. but i do hope you like it, and i want to thank those who've read my writing or given me a kudos. it really boosts my confidence and inspires me to continue writing, so thank you so much <33

**Marinette’s P.O.V.**

 

Marinette had frozen.

She could sense herself staring at Adrien, probably with the derpiest look on her face, but she couldn’t move! Her mind screamed at her to say something, but all that came out was some weird croak, like someone opening a rusty door.

Adrien raised his eyebrows, looking back and forth between her and Alya. He waved his hand in front of Marinette’s face. “Is she all right?”

Alya gave Marinette a hard shove, jumpstarting her mind. “Uhhhhhh,” Marinette shook her head and righted herself. “I’m sorry, could you say that again?” She wanted to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating.

Adrien laughed, and Marinette could’ve sworn that a beam of sunlight shone down from the heavens and fell upon his god-like features. Marinette had it bad for him. “I asked if you wanted to go out to get coffee sometime, and go over you possibly being my stylist for a photoshoot I want to do.” Adrien smiled at her again, and Marinette had to force herself to focus.

“O-oh! Oh my goodness, I would be thrilled to!” She tried not to show too much enthusiasm, but she couldn’t help it. She had successfully spoken full sentences to Adrien, and, if she wasn't mistaken, he had just asked her out!

“Great! I was thinking maybe tomorrow, after school, say 4:00? I know a great place about 5 minutes from here.” Adrien hoisted his bag up and tilted his head.

“Sounds good, 4:00.” Marinette nodded her head in agreement and returned the smile, her heart swelling with elation.

“All right, I’ll see you then. _À demain_!” Adrien turned to leave, waving to both her and Alya. Marinette breathed out a dreamy “bye” and waved back, her arm limp. She felt her whole body go numb and Marinette’s soul left her body. It reminded her of the time she slow danced with Adrien at Chloe’s party.

As soon as Adrien was turned around and out of earshot, Alya jumped in front of Marinette, grabbing her by the shoulders. “Okay, you do realize that this is the second time that the guy you’re completely crazy about has asked you out, right? Sure, it took him four years to grow the balls and make a move, but hey, better late than never! And you spoke a full sentence!”

Marinette was still gazing off into the distance after Adrien, her mouth hanging open with a stupid smile playing on her lips.

“Earth to Marinette! Who are you? Are you sure you’re not Ladybug?” Alya shook Marinette’s shoulders and that last question jarred her out of her stupor.

“What? No way, I’m not Ladybug, what would make you think that?” Marinette laughed nervously, scratching her cheek a bit and avoiding direct eye contact with her best friend.

“Because I swear, you are the luckiest girl in the universe right now. Your longtime crush made the first move and asked _you_ out! And all you were doing was being your beautiful, wonderful self! I can’t think of anybody else with that kind of luck except for Ladybug herself.”

Marinette breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Alya. “I know, I almost cannot believe it, is this really happening?” Marinette looked down at her hands, and she was trembling a bit. Alya moved in for a hug, and Marinette hugged her back.  

“I’m so happy for you, Marinette.” Alya embraced her tighter, and Marinette just revelled in the joy of the moment. Needless to say, Marinette’s heart spent the rest of the day soaring high above on Cloud 9.

 

* * *

 

The next day when Marinette awoke, she laid in bed for a few minutes racking her mind, trying to remember what happened yesterday. Did Adrien really ask her out?

Her unspoken question was quickly answered when her phone screen lit up from a text message. She picked up her phone and nearly squealed.

Adrien: Good morning! I’m excited to hang out with you after school today!

Marinette slammed her face into her pillow and screamed, kicking her legs back and forth. Holy crap, it wasn’t just some fantasy she had dreamt up! She was actually going on a date with Adrien Agreste, and he was the one that asked _her_ out!

Marinette was glad she had woken up much earlier than usual that day, and she got up to get dressed. She wasn’t going to wear her usual brown blazer with her white flower shirt underneath & her pink jeans.

She decided on a [flowy, button-up red shirt with white, vertical pinstripes](https://www.google.com/search?q=marinette+itslopez&safe=strict&client=firefox-b-1-ab&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi5veKtuK7bAhWJsFQKHaGTABIQ_AUICigB&biw=1440&bih=803#imgrc=uupGtB4M8rwR7M:). She then tucked that in to a pair of black, high waisted jeans, with flower embellishments down either side of the pant legs. She accessorized with a black string choker, extra piercings in her ear, red nail polish, and black ankle boots. And although Adrien had complimented her loose locks, Marinette couldn’t stand having them in her face, so she pulled it up into a messy, yet stylish ponytail.

Marinette looked her outfit over in the mirror. Damn, she looked cute! She smiled and bounded down the stairs.

“Good morning, _maman._ ” Marinette greeted her mother, who stood at the kitchen sink, with a kiss on the cheek.

Sabine smiled and turned to reply “Good morning, Marinette. Wow, that’s a pretty outfit. Something special going on today?”

“Yeah, I guess you could say that.” Marinette smiled to herself and blushed. _You have no idea. I’ll tell her and Papa about it later._

Marinette was still unable to grasp reality. She didn’t dare speak anything of the matter into existence, for fear that this could still be a dream, and her words could shatter it at any moment.

Marinette grabbed a croissant and hurried out the door, saying a quick goodbye to her mom. She ran down the stairs and into the bakery to say bye to her dad, who stood at the register, checking out the bakery’s first patrons of the day.

“Slow down, Marinette! I’m pleasantly surprised, you’re on time for once! So that means there is plenty of time for you to give your old man a hug before you go.” Tom turned his attention away from the register for a moment to face Marinette with open arms.

Marinette rolled her eyes with fondness, wrapping her arms around him and placing a quick kiss on his cheek. “ _À plus tard_ , Papa.” She waved to him one more time before bolting out the door and across the street to the school. Marinette jogged up to the bottom of the steps to greet Alya, who started whooping and yelling.

“OOH, LOOK AT MY GIRL, LOOKING LIKE A DAMN SNACK UP IN THIS BITCH. WHO IS SHE? DAMN, SHE THICC!” Alya hyped Marinette up, going crazy for her best friend’s new outfit. Marinette blushed and covered her face before playfully pushing Alya.

“Alya, shh!” Marinette looked around. She was excited for what she still hoped wasn’t just a figment of her imagination, but that didn’t mean that her insecurities were gone.

“Girl, how can you expect me not to hype you up? You look so cute!” Alya motioned her arms up and down, gesturing to all of Marinette’s outfit before pulling her into a hug. Marinette hugged her back, not noticing the black car pulling up behind the two of them.

 

* * *

 

    Adrien was truly excited for that afternoon. He was proud of himself for successfully asking Marinette out, and he awoke in a happy mood. He bounced out of bed and strode into his bathroom, turning on the faucet for the shower. He whistled a little tune to himself.

    “ _Ah, excited to be going out with a certain lady?_ ” Plagg clutched a piece of camembert, a smirk played along with the glint in his green eyes.

Adrien frowned in amusement, glancing at Plagg. “Um, I’m going out with Marinette, not Ladybug. Come on, Plagg, you were there, too. You know that it was Marinette that I asked out.” Adrien grabbed a towel and started undressing.

“ _Uhh, y-yeah, that’s what I meant, kid! Duh, I know you asked Marinette out… mostly because you still don’t have the balls to do the same with Ladybug._ ” Plagg looked away, not wanting to see the kid butt-naked, but also in attempts to hide his blunder.

“Shut up,” Adrien replied, a smile evident in his tone. Plagg chuckled nervously, flying out of the bathroom and into the bedroom to sit on the back of the sofa.

Holy crap, Plagg thought. I almost revealed her identity. Again.

Ever since their battle against Dark Owl, it was a battle in and of itself to keep Ladybug’s identity a secret. Plagg had seen the girl behind the mask and Tikki had seen the boy underneath the ears, but Tikki had made it crystal clear to not breathe a word. It was infuriating to see the two flounder about in their love lives. It would be so much easier if they both _knew_.

Adrien finished his shower quickly and stepped out, strolling back into the bedroom to get dressed. Adrien, instead of his typical white button down, black striped t-shirt and orange Converse, opted for a new outfit.

He donned a breathable, [maroon long sleeve shirt](https://www.google.com/search?safe=strict&client=firefox-b-1-ab&biw=1440&bih=803&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=uh8PW9TsCOnh0gK-y7uQAw&q=adrien+agreste+model+photos&oq=adr&gs_l=img.1.0.35i39k1l2j0i67k1l2j0j0i67k1l2j0l3.89808.90138.0.91527.3.3.0.0.0.0.173.397.0j3.3.0....0...1c.1.64.img..0.3.396....0.yc21OAryYmM#imgrc=VO-v4p7RU5I3TM:). Over that, he threw on a brown leather jacket. He paired the two with olive green jeans and black high top Vans. He ruffled his hair a bit, getting that perfect, effortless look before leaving his room, his spirits high.

 

His spirits were dampened at the speed of sound, as per usual. He sat at the dining room table, eating breakfast by himself. He looked at the other end of the table, and it seemed to stretch into infinity. It was appropriate, since it matched his solitude and how long it had been since his father sat down to eat a meal with him.

Adrien had to shove the meal down his throat, trying not to gag on the bland, tasteless food. He wondered why the lump still formed in his throat, even after years of the same old song and dance.

He walked out to the car, the Gorilla already waiting by the back door. Adrien approached, and the Gorilla opened the door for him, allowing Adrien to crawl into the back. The Gorilla shut the door behind him and returned to the driver’s seat, and they drove off.

When they pulled up to the school, Adrien was reminded of why he was so happy when he woke up, and his spirits were lifted again. He didn’t notice the two girls chatting at the bottom of the stairs until he got out of the car.

He looked up and at the same time, Marinette turned her attention to the sound of the car. Adrien stopped in his tracks and met Marinette’s eyes. They both stopped and watched each other. Neither of them moved, and for that moment in time, it felt like it was just the two of them in the entire world. He held her eyes and she held his, and Adrien felt his heart skip a beat.

 

* * *

 

    Marinette’s eyes opened when she heard the car pull up behind her. She pulled herself out of Alya’s embrace, turning her head a bit to see behind her. She immediately recognized the jet black car, and the ruffle of blond emerging from the back seat.

Adrien’s eyes were on hers the moment he stepped out, and, call her crazy, but she could’ve sworn that time had stopped. It was a picturesque moment: the breeze blowing through their hair, the leaves dancing on the wind, ocean blue meeting emerald green.

Marinette didn’t doubt that they would’ve stayed like that, watching each other for hours, until Alya reminded the two of her presence by clearing her throat and nudging Marinette in the side. She had the most smug smirk on her face.

    Marinette chuckled awkwardly and looked away, feeling her face heat up in embarrassment. Adrien did the same, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. He closed the car door and walked up to them.

    “ _Bonjour_ , Alya. _Bonjour_ , Marinette.” Adrien greeted them both, and it might have been her imagination, but Marinette was sure she heard Adrien say her name a little more sweetly than he usually did.

It didn’t help that as he said her name, he gently placed his hand on her forearm. Marinette could feel the electricity travel throughout her body and she shivered after the brief moment of contact.

Adrien flashed a dazzling, pearlescent smile, and Marinette squinted from just how blinding it was. Adrien didn’t seem to notice, and continued on up the steps. Marinette sighed dreamily, and Alya had to smack her arm to get her to follow him. Marinette shook her head, following suit. She caught up and walked beside him, matching his stride. They made small talk all the way to the classroom, with Alya keeping a slight distance behind them.

When they reached the classroom, Alya slipped in front of either of them, snaking Adrien’s seat out from under him. She swiftly set her stuff down next to Nino, leaving her seat next to Marinette open for Adrien.

Marinette’s jaw dropped and she stomped over to her best friend, who was looking very pleased with herself. Her boyfriend matched her expression of pride.

“Alya!” Marinette whisper screamed, a look of anxiety flashing in her bluebell eyes. “What are you doing? That’s Adrien’s seat!” She glanced behind her to see Adrien’s blush intensify, avoiding eye contact with her. He rubbed the back of his neck, as he usually did when he was nervous.

“What? Can’t a girl sit next to her man?” Alya held up her hands in fake innocence before pulling Marinette close and whispering, “Besides, I’ve given you the chance to sit next to _your_ man. Go get ‘em, girl.”

Marinette’s mouth opened in disbelief and she swatted at Alya’s arm playfully. Alya shrunk away and snickered, fist bumping Nino who looked as devious as she did. With that, Marinette realized that the two had planned the little stunt. She pressed her lips into a tight line and glanced around to look at Adrien.

He had already maneuvered his way to Alya’s usual spot, a flush of red covering his emerald eyes. He met her eyes and shrugged, a sheepish look passing over his face as he gestured her to come over. Marinette held her breath, her shyness and anxiety weighing down her steps. Adrien patted the seat next to him, and he gave a sympathetic smile.

Marinette slid into the seat next to him. She wasn’t sure if she should sit on the opposite edge of the bench, farthest away from him, or if she should try her chances and scoot a little closer. She felt like she was having an existential crisis over a damn seat, and she ended up sitting halfway between both.

The rest of the class, Marinette spent focusing all her energy on how to breathe and think straight. She didn’t even notice that throughout the lecture, Adrien had inched himself closer and closer to Marinette, and by the time the bell rang, his arm was nearly touching hers.

Marinette fumbled to gather her things, and being the klutz she was, she ended up dropping her backpack, all of its contents spilling onto the floor. She dropped to her knees, reaching for the nearest textbook. Turns out another kind soul had the same idea, and Marinette’s ivory hand met Adrien’s golden brown fingers.

Electricity.

Like, actual electricity. The air must’ve been dry because as soon as their fingers touched, the pair received a static shock. Marinette jerked her hand back, and Adrien did the same.

“Sorry.” They spoke at the same time, smiling apologetically. Adrien finished picking up the book, and he handed it to her. Afterward, he stood and offered his hand to Marinette. She accepted and pulled herself up.

When she stood, Adrien held onto her hand a little longer than necessary. She glanced down at their hands, then back up at him. Tropical green irises stared back.

“So, we’re still on for this afternoon right?” he absentmindedly traced little circles on the back of her hand with his thumb, and Marinette was sure she was going to _swoon_. She gazed back, and she searched for any sign of feigned emotions. She found none.

“U-uh, yeah. Yeah, o-of course. 4:00, right? After school?”

“Yeah, and don’t worry about meeting me anywhere, I know a great place. You have _Mlle._ Mendeliev last, right?” He was burning holes right through her head with his gaze, and Marinette wouldn’t have cared if she imploded underneath it.

 _Ugh, those EYES. Those damn eyes. They’ll be the death of me._ Marinette fidgeted as Adrien looked at her and she struggled, yet again, to gather her thoughts. You’d think she’d be used to this by now. She looked down at her hand (which was still entrapped by Adrien’s) and nodded her head.

“All right, so just wait out front, at the bottom of the steps. I’ll join up, and we’ll go, okay?” Adrien then released her hand, and while she wanted to keep the contact, Marinette was relieved he’d let go. She wasn’t sure how much more of that she could’ve endured.

“Yeah, see you then.” Marinette breathed, watching Adrien smile and turning to walk out of the classroom. The blond tousle of hair stood out in the crowd of students that poured out into the main atrium, each student going to their respective homes for lunch.

 

Marinette was grateful, surprisingly, that she didn’t have any other classes with Adrien for the rest of the day. She was certain she would’ve had a nervous breakdown if she had to endure those unbelievably green eyes burning holes through her any longer. How she was going to survive their date, she had not even the slightest idea.

It was the end of the day, and the long-awaited moment was upon them. Marinette’s fingers trembled slightly as they clutched her books. She carefully made her way down the stairs and out the front doors, focusing all her energy on walking.

She stopped just outside the doors, and waited for Adrien. She stood there and slipped her backpack off, holding it in front of her with both hands.

After a while, she realized something: she was standing in the exact spot where Adrien offered his umbrella to her on that rainy day, all those years ago. The exact moment when she had fallen for him.

Now here she was, waiting for him in the same spot to go on a date with him. Not even in her wildest dreams did she imagine him asking _her_ out. Her luck was uncanny, and she chuckled to herself.

She waited for a few minutes, starting to wonder where he was. She fished her phone out from her pocket and checked the time. 4:07.

Where was he?

She was about to return her phone to her pocket when it vibrated. She looked at the screen, and it was a text from Adrien.

Adrien: i am so sorry Mari, i just need 2 run an errand & I think it will take a while. We’ll still go 2 tht cafe, but it’ll hv to be later tonight. could I come pick u up around 7:00?

Her heart fell a little at the words shining at her through the screen, but she tried not to feel too disappointed as her thumbs typed out a response.

Marinette: oh, thats ok, no worries! just text me when you’re on ur way.

She sighed as she tapped “send” and locked her phone. It wasn’t like the date had been cancelled or anything, just postponed, but she had worked up all this courage in hopes to steel her nerves. Now having to wait even longer did quite the opposite and made her more anxious than before.

Her pigtails seemed to droop to match her mood, and she couldn’t help her feet shuffling along on the sidewalk as she made her way across the street and to her house. She mentally prepared herself for the agonizing wait that would come with the next couple hours.

 

* * *

 

 

    Adrien hated his father sometimes. Most of the time, actually.

    He sneered at his phone, reading the text from Nathalie that told him his father wanted him home promptly after school to do something. His asshole dad didn’t even have the decency to contact Adrien himself, much less tell him what he wanted Adrien for.

    He felt like the biggest douchebag in the world as he sent the text to Marinette, knowing all too well what it would do to her. Regardless, he felt like a douche for knowing that she had a huge crush on him, and here he was asking her out, with the intentions of getting closer to her _as a friend_.

    He did ask her out because he saw her as a friend...right?

    The car arrived at the gates of the Agreste manor, and pulled into the driveway. Adrien stepped out of the car and trudged up the steps, pushing the heavy doors open.

The cold, harsh air spilled out and pricked Adrien’s skin. He stepped inside, and at the top of the staircase stood his father, hands clasped behind his back, as usual. His demeanor was always professional; cold and unfeeling, just like the lonely house.

“Hello, Father. I got your message, you wanted to see me?” Adrien half assed his attempts to mask any disdain he felt at that moment. He was pretty tweaked at his dad for keeping him from going on his first date. He didn’t particularly care if Gabriel was aware of his annoyance.

“Yes, I wanted to discuss with you some of the details about your next photoshoot.” Gabriel’s voice was monotone, his face showing no emotion, but Adrien still felt apprehensive at his words.

Adrien shifted uncomfortably. “Okay, which details?” He didn’t know where to place his apprehension. Should he be suspicious, or dare he get excited for some good news? It was starting to make his head pound a little.

“I have you scheduled for an appointment with Gustav Auguste Dubois this Thursday at 1:45. He is a relatively new designer but he has a strong sense of fashion.” Gabriel made his way down the stairs deliberately, and continued.

 _Of course_. Adrien thought to himself. He was foolish to expect otherwise.

“The photoshoot will be held at the Arc de Triomphe, so I have already notified your teachers and principal that you will miss some class time, and arranged for Nathalie to pick up your assignments.” He stopped at the base of the stairs and looked Adrien squarely in the eyes.

“That is all.” He turned away from Adrien, walking to his office without so much as another word. Adrien sneered, his mouth opening with incredulity, and he worked up the nerve to say something before Gabriel vanished.

“Wait, Father, I thought we both agreed that I would get to choose the stylist and location of my next photoshoot. I thought we agreed that I was old enough for that.” It was a struggle to keep any attitude from seeping into his voice.

Gabriel stopped where he was but didn’t turn to face Adrien. That really pissed him off.

“Yes, we did discuss that, but I’ve decided recently that you’re still not mature enough for that kind of responsibility.”

“What do you mean I’m not responsible enough? I’m perfectly responsible! I attend all my extracurricular activities, and every photoshoot you drop on me at a moment’s notice, and I still manage to stay on top of all my assignments, and turn them in early, actually. I’ve never gone out partying or stayed out late and do everything you tell me to!”

That last part was a bit of a lie, Adrien noted as it spilled from his mouth. Nightly patrols with Ladybug often kept him up till the late hours of the night. “Why can’t I make this one decision for myself?” Adrien tried his best to keep his voice level and lowered.

Gabriel only turned around halfway to barely glance at Adrien. His voice was steely cold and stern. “You’re still only a child Adrien. You will do what I tell you, and that is final.” He turned back around to continue his path. Adrien’s anger swelled up and before his mind could stop him, his mouth spoke.

“I’m not a child anymore, Father. I am eighteen years old, therefore, I am a legal adult. I already have a stylist in mind, and I am going to make damn sure that her work is utilized in the next shoot. In fact, I was on my way to go on a date with her before you interrupted me with this bullshit.”

Alarms went off in his mind for talking back to Gabriel and his panic levels started to rise at the language he used, but Adrien didn’t care. “I’ve made up _my_ mind, Father, and there’s nothing you can do or say to stop me.”

With that, Adrien turned on his heel to walk back out the door, not speaking another word to him. Gabriel watched Adrien, no sign of anger or astonishment on his stoic face. Adrien felt a pang of defeat, as he had hoped to incur some sort of reaction from his father.

Neither Nathalie nor the Gorilla followed him.The heavy oak doors swung open once more, slamming shut and echoing across any buildings in the immediate vicinity. The troubled teenager trudged down the steps and out the gates.

He checked his smartphone. 6:32.

Did it really take that long?

Adrien shoved his phone back into his pocket and started making his way toward the Dupain-Cheng bakery on foot. He should get there on time, considering the distance.

With each step he took, and with every minute he spent thinking of the date that was about to take place, the anger pent up inside started to dissipate. A grin slowly formed on his face as an adorable smile, a pair of pigtails and dazzling blue eyes crossed his mind a million times.

 

* * *

 

Marinette tried to busy herself with menial tasks to distract her from the anxiety. She washed the dishes, did a light laundry load, straightened the cushions on the couch, watered the plants on the living room balcony, wiped the countertops down, anything, really.

The anxiety came in waves, as she went between panic, thinking he would bail, and assuring herself that he would show.

She kept glancing at the clock which seemed to only make things go slower. 6:34. Then what felt like at least 12 minutes later, 6:37. She groaned and continued on her stress-cleaning spree.

After a while, when there was nothing left to clean or straighten up, Marinette stood in the middle of her living room, a sparkly clean apartment shining before her. Marinette was half-tempted to dirty something on purpose just so she could clean that.

But her antics were cut short as she felt a drop of sweat roll down her forehead and into her eye. She squeezed her eye shut and made her way over to the mirror, looking herself over. Her midnight blue locks clung to her forehead with sweat, and her clothes felt sticky against her skin. She had gotten water on her shirt from scrubbing the dishes so vigorously, and her ponytail was starting to fall.

Marinette breathed a sigh of relief and gladly complied to herself to take a break. She made her way to the shower, towel in hand, and turned the water on, stepping under the warm stream.

She allowed herself to breathe and relax, feeling each drop of water against her skin. The muscles in her back loosened, and she hadn’t even realized that they were tense to begin with. _Don’t worry yourself, Marinette. He’ll be here._ She repeated the thought in her mind like a mantra. Tikki seemed to read her mind as her small voice called through the bathroom door, “ _Don’t worry, Marinette! Just relax, he’ll be here. I know he will._ ” Marinette smiled at Tikki’s reassurance and shut the water off.

By the time she got out and had gotten dressed, it was already 6:57. Marinette scrambled to blow dry her hair and style it. About 5 minutes later, she heard a faint, slow knock on her door. The nervousness swelled up in her chest, and she made her way down the stairs and to the door. _That knock was a little strange…_ A passing thought briefly flashed across her mind.

Marinette inhaled and exhaled deep breaths, moving her hands up and down with her breathing movements. She placed a small smile on her face and reached for the door handle, opening it slowly. A friendly greeting rose to leave her lips but fell quickly as she found who was before her.

A tall, slim woman with blonde hair was leaning heavily against the door frame. She was visibly struggling to stay standing. Her eyes were shut and her breathing was labored. She was ridiculously dirty, with grime covering her arms, legs, face, hair and clothes. Marinette almost couldn’t tell she was blonde from all the dirt staining her hair. Her clothes were tattered, and there were multiple cuts and bruises along her arms and legs, with a single cut along her right cheek. The cut looked fresh.

“Wh-what in the world, oh my goodness, are you okay?” Marinette instinctively reached out to steady the woman, who had started to fall forward. _What a stupid question, of course she’s not okay!_ Marinette mentally slapped herself. “What happened to you?” The woman slowly opened her eyes, lifting them to look directly at Marinette, and she gasped.

Emerald green eyes pierced right through Marinette’s ocean blue, and Marinette’s mind went blank. The woman tried to speak, but struggled to do so, as she was so out of breath. She only managed to breathe out a single word before collapsing, unconscious.

_Help._


	6. Could It Be?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette helps the mystery woman as she tries to figure out who she is. Suddenly, someone else shows up to the party.

Marinette’s P.O.V.

 

    Tears had started to form in Marinette’s eyes as she struggled to help the woman inside. The stranger was considerably taller than her and unconscious, which made dragging her inside all the more difficult. Marinette’s Ladybug instincts kicked in, and she disregarded all the grime that was currently dirtying her once clean body. All that mattered was helping this woman.

    Marinette didn’t realize how she took Ladybug’s strength for granted, but the woman was heavier than she realized. She huffed as she plopped the woman down on the couch, not worrying about ruining the fabric.

    She studied the woman’s face, looking past the dirt and grime. The woman was incredibly beautiful, with regal features. She had high, angular cheekbones, a well-defined jaw, and a sharp nose, but she didn’t look like she’d be arrogant. Despite her model-esque features, she had a kindly face.

    Marinette stood there for a ten count, wondering what the hell she should do. Should she call the police? Take the woman to a hospital? Call her parents? What about Adrien? Could he help her?

    Wait.

    Oh no.

    Adrien.

    As if on cue, Marinette heard a knock on the door. Panic shot through her veins and she started hyperventilating. She bounced up and down, shaking her hands as if to shake off the anxiety. She ran to the answer the door, not remembering the dirt covering almost her entire body.

    She swung the door open to find a very happy, sunshiny Adrien smiling at her. “Hey, Marinette! Ready to go…?” He faltered as he looked Marinette over, noticing the dirt all over her outfit and arms and face. “Um, heh, what happened?” He asked slowly, looking over Marinette from her feet back up to her face.

    “Uh…” Marinette was suddenly aware of her current state, and remembered the unconscious woman lying on her couch. She closed the door to hide herself and the woman. “Actually, I am so sorry, Adrien. I was ready to go, but something just now came up, and I really need to go see to it. I’m so sorry, could we take a rain check?”

Marinette felt her luck starting to turn as she cancelled on the love of her life, and even worse for hiding the stranger from Adrien. It was basically the same thing as lying.

    “Oh...that’s okay.” Marinette felt her heart shatter as the glow faded from Adrien’s saddened face. He stood there looking like a dejected puppy for a second before he looked back up at her. “Is everything all right? Are you sure I couldn’t help out?” Adrien craned his neck as he tried to peek around Marinette into her apartment, but Marinette closed the door farther.

    “No, no, it’s all fine. Thank you so much for offering but really, I’ll be okay. I’m a big, strong girl.” Marinette flexed her bicep in an attempt to hide her own disappointment, to lighten the mood. As desperately as she wanted to go on a date with Adrien, taking care of this woman was of the utmost importance. Besides, she _was_ Ladybug. If she could save Paris on a daily basis, surely she could take care of a single citizen…

    Right?

    “Okay, if you’re sure… But if you do end up needing help, make sure you call me, all right?” Adrien placed his hand on her shoulder and looked her dead in the eyes. There he goes again, drilling holes through my brain with those emeralds he has for eyes.

    For a brief moment, Marinette forgot the situation she was in as she got lost in his eyes. She nodded her head lazily, a small “uh huh” of affirmation tumbling from her lips. Adrien chuckled, but the look of concern didn’t dissipate from his expression. He turned to head down the stairs, giving a little wave as he disappeared from sight.

    Marinette sighed after him, leaning against the door frame, a stupid smile definitely plastered on her face. She probably would have stayed like that for a while if it weren’t for Tikki’s bright voice startling her out of her stupor.

    “ _Marinette, that woman needs your help._ ” Tikki’s voice manifested next to Marinette’s ear. She shook her head as if to shake away the dreamy haze clouding her thoughts. She shut the door and turned her attention back to the stranger on her couch. She regarded her for a few moments before a startling thought crossed her mind: she couldn’t see the woman breathing.

    A wave of panic started to wash over Marinette, and she ran to the woman, falling to her knees next to the couch. She pressed two fingers to the woman’s neck, desperately trying to find a pulse.

    Marinette had started to hyperventilate when she finally found her pulse, the weakest pulse Marinette had ever felt. This woman was _barely_ _alive_. A sigh of relief fell from Marinette’s lips, and she thanked her lucky spots that the woman hadn’t died in her living room. She wouldn’t have been able to handle that.

    She sat there on her knees, studying the woman and wondering what the hell she should do. After a moment, Marinette perked up, then looked around her apartment as if to check if anyone was watching her. Maybe she could…

    Marinette stood, calling out to her kwami, “Hey, Tikki. You think it’d be a good idea to transform into Ladybug for now, just so I can help this woman out? It’d make helping her so much easier if I had Ladybug’s strength.”

    “ _Of course, Marinette. That’s what Ladybug is all about, helping others. Besides, I don’t think this woman is going to wake up anytime soon. She won’t find anything out._ ” Tikki’s bright voice filled Marinette with reassurance, and she smiled.

    “Okay, then. Tikki, _transformer moi!_ ” A bright pink light flashed for a moment, enveloping Marinette’s entire form, and she felt the tingling sensation of Ladybug’s suit materializing on her body. The light faded and Ladybug stood before the woman, still completely out cold. She hadn’t even shifted, and Ladybug wasn’t sure if she should be relieved or worried.

    Ladybug stooped down and lifted the woman with ease, carrying her bridal style. She carted her up the apartment stairs and to Marinette’s room. Once through the hatch door, Ladybug walked over to her _chaise_ , carefully laying the woman down. The woman felt so ridiculously limp, Ladybug was starting to doubt if she had actually found her pulse.

    Looking at her, Ladybug noticed a necklace she hadn’t seen before, strung around the woman’s neck. Ladybug tilted her head and picked up the necklace between her gloved fingers. It was a small, golden heart pendant. Ladybug turned it over and saw something engraved in the back: “G + E”

    “G + E…” Ladybug muttered to herself. “Whose initials could that be?”

 _Marinette, you should probably use your Lucky Charm. It should give you something useful to help her._ Tikki’s voice spoke to Ladybug’s mind, and she nodded, standing.

    “Lucky Charm!” Once again, ladybugs swirled around Marinette’s room, and all that appeared was a sheet of paper. As it floated down, Ladybug caught it and realized it was a photo. Looking closely, it was a portrait of a beautiful, blonde woman, with striking green eyes. After about 3 seconds, it struck Ladybug that the woman in the picture was the one unconscious in her room.

    “This must be her… but, I don’t see how this photo is supposed to help me. Although, I feel like I’ve seen this woman before…” Ladybug lowered the picture, searching through her memories. She could’ve sworn she’d seen her before, and why did those eyes look so familiar…?

    She almost had it, when a tap on the window jolted her out of her thoughts. She turned and saw Chat Noir, hanging upside down just out her window. Ladybug frowned and walked over, opening the window.

“Chat? What are you doing here?” Her partner slipped in through the window swiftly, landing perfectly on his feet, and stood slowly, rising to his full height.

“I could ask you the same thing, M’Lady.” He smirked as he towered over her, and Ladybug had forgotten to take a step back. He was ridiculously close. Ladybug had trouble breathing.

    “Ahem, I asked you first, _minou_ .” Ladybug raised an eyebrow and prodded him back with one finger, pushing against his chest. _Why does he smell so good?_ Ladybug’s senses raged as Chat’s cologne filled her nose.

    “Well, I got a call from a very close friend. He had just talked to the girl who lives here, and it seemed like she was in trouble, so he wanted me to check in on her, but it looks like you already did that.” Chat scanned the room and his eyes snapped back to his partner, mischief dancing across his irises.

“Yeah, well that’s because I’m close friends with the girl that lives here.”

_Adrien knows Chat Noir personally?_

    Ladybug continued, “She called me after your friend left and said she needed help with this woman.” She gestured to the stranger, who was still out cold. Chat looked behind him and his eyes rested upon her, and he fell silent.

    “When I got here, she told me to just take her upstairs in here, and my friend went off to talk to her parents or something.” Ladybug hated lying, but it was absolutely necessary. Chat was still unusually quiet, not saying a word as he slowly approached the woman and knelt down next to her.

    Ladybug watched him carefully, wondering what was going on inside his head. He pulled out a handkerchief and walked over to the sink by the hatch in the floor, dampening it. He returned to the woman’s side and started wiping away the grime on her face. Ladybug was amazed at his gentleness, and his ability to not tear the fabric or cut the woman with his clawed gloves.

“Chat?” She walked up behind him, placing a hand on his back and crouching next to him. “Chat? Are you okay?”

    He stayed silent, still cleaning the woman’s face. He wiped away the last streak of dirt, and when her face was properly visible, Ladybug turned her attention back to Chat. His focus fixated on the woman, and in his eyes, it seemed as though he was searching for something. Something he had lost and was trying to find again.

Ladybug called his name one more time, and Chat jumped, looking back at her. “I-I’m sorry, what did you say?” She wasn’t sure, but she could’ve sworn she saw the glint of tears in his eyes.

“Is everything all right? Do you know this woman?” Ladybug was at a total loss as to what she should do. She was relying completely on Chat to have an answer right now.

“Uh- yeah, I mean- no, ah…” Her partner struggled to find the words, and he just stood, backing up slowly. “I’m sorry, M’Lady, I need to go. _Now_. Uhm, it looks like you have everything under control, I’ll leave you to it.” He scrambled for his baton and practically sprinted to the window from whence he came.

“Wait, Chat! What’s going on? Come on, just talk to me!” Ladybug chased after him, stopping at the window. Chat launched himself out that tiny little window, and over the roofs, calling back to her.

“I’m sorry, M’Lady, I can’t tell you now. But I will, eventually! _Au revoir!_ ” He disappeared behind the buildings within seconds, and Ladybug was left dumbfounded. It was like he couldn’t get away fast enough.

Why did Chat seem so nervous around her? Was Chat scared of this woman? Did he know her? _How_ did he know her?

So many questions left unanswered, and still no idea on how to attend to this woman.

Ladybug huffed as she placed her hands on her hips, turning to assess the situation. Neither Marinette nor Ladybug was a doctor, neither had any medical experience. It bothered Ladybug so much that she couldn’t figure out how to help a citizen in need.

_Well, I ought to clean her up…_

She walked over to the woman and picked her up. She carried her to the bathroom and set her on the floor, leaning her back against the edge of the bathtub. Ladybug felt awkward as she removed the woman’s clothes, down to her undershirt and panties. It was unavoidable. She had to clean her up.

Ladybug turned on the water and removed the handheld shower head, carefully washing the woman’s hair. Shampoo cleared the dirt, and beautiful blonde emerged from underneath. She dampened a cloth and shut the water off, wiping down the rest of her body as best she could without touching anywhere inappropriate.

Ladybug regarded the woman as she finished cleaning, and she felt a sense of fondness settle over her. Ladybug wanted nothing but to care for this woman, to protect her, like a mother protects her child. Which was ironic, considering this woman was obviously older than her.

She got her as clean as she could, and discarded the soiled clothes to the side. She lifted the woman off the floor once more and carried her back into her room. Thankfully, the woman didn’t seem that much older than Marinette, so she would fit into some of her clothes. Ladybug dressed the woman and laid her back down on her _chaise_ , grabbing a blanket, draping it over the woman gently.

At that moment, the woman stirred, and her eyes fluttered open, just as the last minute on her transformation beeped. Upon hearing the beeping, the woman’s green eyes witnessed Ladybug’s suit fade away, leaving a stunned Marinette staring back.

 

* * *

 

Adrien stopped in the stairwell as he finished waving to Marinette. He was actually quite disappointed that their date had been cancelled, but he knew Marinette wouldn’t cancel on him unless she had a really good reason.

He leaned against the wall, closing his eyes and heaved a sigh. He ran his hands through his hair and down his face. He knew of Marinette’s kindness and courtesy. But what was this pain clenching in his chest right now?

Plagg flitted out of Adrien’s inside-shirt pocket and floated up next to his face. “ _Cheer up, kid. It’s not like she completely rejected you. She just, kinda, blew you off._ ” Adrien glared at his kwami who looked completely oblivious to the pain he just inflicted on Adrien’s heart.

“She didn’t blow me off, Plagg.” Adrien snapped, looking away. “She just… postponed, okay?” Adrien stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking down at his feet.

Then he heard a muffled voice shouting, coming from Marinette’s apartment. He couldn’t really make out what he heard. Something like “Tee-ee, ans- or- me!” He could see the bottom of their apartment door in his peripheral vision. He saw a quick flash of pink light.

“What was that? Did you see that, Plagg? Or hear that?” Adrien crept farther up the stairs, anticipating more to happen.

“ _What? See what? Uh, I didn’t see anything!_ ” The purplish-black kwami’s tail swished anxiously and a nervous chuckle arose from his tiny chest. He avoided eye contact with his miraculous holder.

 _Crap. He’s gonna find out._ Plagg’s heart was racing.

Adrien raised an eyebrow in suspicion. Then in a lowered voice, “Plagg, transform me.” Plagg’s eyes went wide as they met Adrien’s matching green before he was sucked into the transformation.

Electricity. Just as every time before, Adrien felt an electric sensation shoot through every nerve ending in his being. Tight, leather material clung to his body as it materialized. Adrien’s form was enveloped in a neon green light, and a sizzling sound filled his ears, as his cat ones appeared. His hair flew up with the woosh then fell into its usual Chat Noir place. His tail appeared last, and Chat Noir had emerged.

Chat slipped out a window that was above one of the landings in the stairwell and he vaulted himself up to the roof. He walked to the edge, knowing exactly where that window was, the one he always slipped through on those late night visits.

He lodged his baton into the side of the building, extending it out slightly over the side of the building. He walked along it before dropping to let himself hang upside down.

He thought he could hear Marinette’s voice inside. He peered into the window, but was met with a bright red suit covered in black spots. He frowned and saw Ladybug standing in Marinette’s room.

 _That’s strange, I thought that was Marinette, but it’s Ladybug. Their voices are kinda similar._ Chat thought to himself, scratching his cheek.

He heard Plagg speak to his mind. _NO! I mean, no, that’s just because they’re both girls and are about the same age and, uh… okay, I’m just gonna stop talking now._ What was Plagg not telling Adrien?

Chat decided to ignore it for now, and he turned his attention back to Ladybug. He prepared his sass and flirtatious side before tapping on the window. He saw his partner jump then turn around, the fighting fire burning in her eyes before she realized who it was.

She approached the window and opened it, a fresh breeze blowing past Chat’s face. His hyper-sensitive nose was filled with the pleasant scent of not only Ladybug, but also Marinette, and Chat had to grip his baton tighter to ensure he didn’t swoon and plummet to his death.

“Chat? What are you doing here?” Ladybug stepped back as Chat swung inside, landing in front of her. His eyes traveled slowly up her shapely figure before settling on her piercing blue eyes. The same blue eyes that were possessed by Marinette…

Chat smirked before replying, “I could ask you the same thing, M- Lady.” He almost made his growing suspicion slip, but he caught himself and called her by her pet name.

He stood close to her body, and he had to resist the itching in his fingers to grab her by the waist, the gravitational pull he felt in his chest to be pressed against her. Maybe it was the blood roaring in his ears or his own nervousness, but he could have sworn he heard her heart pounding just as hard as his.

Ladybug inhaled deeply before prodding him back with one finger. “Ahem, I asked you first, _minou_.” She closed her eyes and folded one arm across her chest. She might’ve been pushing him away, but he struggled to keep his composure, as he almost melted beneath her touch.

Chat explained himself, his eyes scanning the room. He was familiar with it. He had visited Marinette countless times, unbeknownst to Ladybug. But now he was looking for signs that maybe, just maybe, Ladybug had known about Chat’s visits all along, because she was actually…  

“... but it looks like you already did that.” He looked back to his red-clad partner. How was it possible for Marinette to call Ladybug and for Ladybug to get here so quickly in the short amount of time of Adrien leaving and Chat coming back? How was it possible for Marinette to contact Ladybug at all? Unless…

Ladybug launched into her explanation, and it wasn’t a very believable one. Chat watched his long-time partner fumble, and he couldn’t help but watch with amusement and fondness, until she got to the end of her sentence.

“ She called me to help her with this woman.” Ladybug gestured behind Chat, and he turned around to find an unconscious woman lying on Marinette’s _chaise_. Ladybug’s voice faded out of Chat’s hearing. All of his other senses seemed to shut down, and the only one that remained was his vision.

He stared for what felt like an eternity. She was about the same height and build. The same regal facial features, the same golden blonde hair, that matched his own… He approached the woman and knelt beside her. Chat’s internal thoughts had come to a complete halt as he looked upon this woman.

He didn’t notice Ladybug as he walked past her and to the sink that stood in the corner of her- Marinette’s room. He didn’t even stop to think if Ladybug would wonder why he was so familiar with Marinette’s room. He dampened the handkerchief he always kept in his pocket before returning to the woman, proceeding to wipe away the impurities covering her face.

He cleaned with a gentleness he only reserved for his Lady, of whom he was vaguely aware was calling out to him and had placed her hand on his shoulder. Normally, he’d be flustered if Ladybug made any unnecessary contact with him, but he was too focused at the moment. He had to see…

When he was done, and he looked upon the woman’s face, there was no more doubt clouding his judgement. His heart and breathing stopped, and all he could do was stare, unmoving. His brain also apparently stopped working. What should he do?

“Chat? Are you okay?” He finally heard one of Ladybug’s calls, and he jumped, startled out of his stupor. He blinked, not noticing that tears had started to form.

“I-I’m sorry, what did you say?” His brain had just started to work again, and he looked back at Ladybug. Concern contorted her beautiful face and worry flashed across her bluebell irises. He hated making his Lady worry.

“Is everything all right? Do you know this woman?” His partner inquired, gesturing to the woman once more, and with that question, did Chat realize who the woman could very well be. With that realization, did panic strike Chat’s heart. He didn’t know what to do, or how to react and that scared him, and he just had to _get out of there._

Chat stammered, struggling to find the words as he stood up and started retreating slowly. “I’m sorry, M’Lady, I need to go. _Now_. Uhm, it looks like you have everything under control, I’ll leave you to it.”

He turned on his heel, whipping out his baton and practically ran to the window. He ignored his partner’s calls to him, pleading him to stay and talk to her, but he couldn’t be in that room a second longer.

He called back to her as he leapt out of her window and above the rooftops. “I’m sorry, M’Lady, I can’t tell you now. But I will, eventually! _Au revoir!”_ He felt like a jerk for leaving Ladybug hanging like that but the panic was overwhelming.

So like a coward, he ran.

He ran and ran until he could run no longer. His mind and legs were weighed down by the very real possibility that Marinette, one of his best friends and secret crush, was Ladybug, his crime-fighting partner and love of his life.

But what weighed the heaviest on his heart, was that after almost 6 years of wondering and fearing of her death, he learned his long-lost mother was alive.


	7. Her Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien collects his thoughts and Marinette learns more about the woman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry for this update taking so long. i kinda had writer's block, and i wasn't sure how to make the story progress. (not like a lot of people are expecting chapters hahaha.....) anyway, i hope y'all like it. thank you again for reading!

**Adrien’s P.O.V.**

 

Chat had landed atop the Arc de Triomphe, and was facing the Champs-Élysées. He stood, hunched over with his hands planted on his knees, as he huffed and puffed to regain his breath from running. He didn’t know how far he’d ran, but he was completely drained.

Although he had stopped running physically, his mind did not do the same. He was able to distract himself for a short amount of time while he focused on running and jumping over chimneys, but as soon as he stopped, his thoughts whipped back to what he’d just witnessed.

He let his legs give out underneath him as he plopped down, sitting on top of the Arc with his feet dangling over the edge. He sat there watching the cars zip by down below and pedestrians mill about the base. A few of them took notice of him and waved. He paid no attention to them. He stared at nothing, lingering in a daze, before finally allowing himself to think.

 _Okay. What the hell did I just see?_ His thoughts raged about his mind, and he didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry or hide himself away from the world. For the first time in his life, he actually _wanted_ to return to his home prison and not come out for the next few days.

 _Kid? You all right?_ Plagg’s voice was surprisingly soft as he spoke to his mind. He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he thought he could feel his kwami’s little paws place the tiniest hug around his heart.

Chat spoke aloud, “I- I don’t know, Plagg. Let’s… let’s just go home for now.” He dropped off the top of the Arc and found a secluded area nearby in a small park. “Claws in.” The same electric sensation traveled back up through his body as he dropped his transformation. The flash sent a woosh up and over his head, sending his hair back into its usual Adrien style.

The sun was sinking into the horizon quicker than Adrien wanted it to. The sky faded from a warm orange-pink to a soft bluish-purple, and the heat dissipated from the world. The breeze swished around Adrien’s form softly and made him shiver. He was thankful he was wearing a different outfit than the one he usually donned, as no one recognized him trudging down the Champs-Élysées with his hood drawn and eyes downcast.

He wanted to sit in his room and be alone for a while, yet he was still in no hurry to return to the Agreste manor. He shuffled along, not thinking of anything in particular but just going through everything that had happened to lead him exactly to where he was right now.

 

After a few hours of walking, making a wide berth of the school (and Marinette’s place), he finally climbed up the steps of his house and pushed open the heavy oak doors. The cold air struck him once again, but it was familiar and refreshing. It cleared his thoughts a little.

Until his father came marching into the foyer.

“Where in the world have you been, Adrien? Do you have any idea what time it is?” Gabriel descended the stairs quickly and stopped at the bottom to glare at him, before resuming his rounds, pacing back and forth. “I have been trying to call you for the past several hours and not once did you think to answer?”

Gabriel’s pacing made Adrien dizzy, but the evident emotion and concern in his voice made his head spin even more. He watched his father buzz around the foyer, his arms occasionally flinging themselves into the air with a shake of his head, followed by a pinch on the bridge of his nose.

“I almost contacted the police to send out a search party. Nathalie and your driver have been scouring the streets of Paris, and you think you can just walk back into this house without so much as a notice to me or her? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is out there? What if something had happened to you? What would you expect me to do then, Adrien?”

Gabriel had stopped his pacing to face Adrien, his hands clasped together behind his back. Why did he care about Adrien all of a sudden? This was the first time he’d shown any real concern about him. It scrambled Adrien’s thoughts back into shambles it was in just a few hours ago.

Adrien scowled and a retort rose in his chest, about how he was a legal adult and could make his own choices, and he didn’t need an overbearing father tracking his every move. But he stopped, and the retort died in his throat with a tired exhale tumbling from his mouth. Adrien was too tired and too confused to argue with him at the moment.

“I’m sorry, Father. I lost track of time, then something came up with my date halfway, so I ended up just taking a walk around the Champs.” A look of apprehension passed over Gabriel’s face at the mention of this, and Adrien rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry, Father, no one recognized me in this outfit and I was wearing a hood the entire time.”

Gabriel groaned and rubbed his eyes, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Never mind that, Adrien. Just… just go to your room. You will not be attending school for the next week. I’ll have Nathalie contact your professors and acquire any assignments. You’ll stay here under our supervision and complete all your extracurriculars until further notice.”

Adrien hung his head, and a dejected “Yes, Father” was barely audible. Adrien mustered all the energy he could to climb the stairs before stopping on the middle landing, then turning to look at Gabriel, whose back was turned away from him. Adrien thought against it, but he spoke anyway.

“Father…? What would you do if… if you knew where Mother was?” Adrien asked slowly, unsure of what Gabriel’s reaction would be. The muscles in his father’s back visibly tensed, and time seemed to stop.

“Where did that kind of question come from? What has come over you?” Gabriel still refused to turn around to face his son.

“I was just wondering… I guess I was missing more than usual today.” His head started to droop again, and he shuffled his feet, not sure whether to stay and hear what Gabriel had to say or to retreat to his room as he was instructed.

He was about to do the latter when his father decided to reply, “If I knew where your mother was, I would drop everything to go find her, and bring her home.” His voice had softened, and Gabriel’s usual professional posture had wilted ever so slightly.

Adrien pondered on this for a second before continuing, “What if you knew that she was alive?” Right as the words left his tongue, Adrien knew he’d crossed some sort of line.

Gabriel spun around and snapped. A deathly stare flared up in his father’s gray, cold eyes and Adrien flinched, “ That’s quite enough out of you, Adrien! Now go to your room as I told you to, before I punish you further for asking such ridiculous questions! Go, NOW!” He thrust his finger toward Adrien’s door, and a chill was sent up Adrien’s spine. He turned and ran, retreating to his room like a dog with his tail between his legs.

 

After seeking sanctuary in his enormous room, Adrien flopped himself onto his king-sized bed, landing face first on his pillows. A long, loud groan erupted from Adrien, and he repeatedly slammed his head into the pillow within his grasp. There were too many confusing thoughts flying about his head and it made him dizzy. Maybe if he beat the pillow with his face enough, he might be able to get one or two out.

 “ _Hey, hey, hey! Stop that now!_ ” Plagg flitted out of Adrien’s pocket, tugging on a strand of his golden hair. Adrien lifted his head to look at the little cat helplessly. “ _Come on, stop scrambling your brain more than it already is, and just… just take a deep breath._ ”

Adrien sat up and inhaled deeply, holding for about 5 seconds before exhaling. He felt better for a brief moment before the anxiety seeped back into his chest. Adrien stood from his bed and shuffled over to his desk.

He hit a key on his keyboard, and the main monitor lit up, showing his home screen. A picture of his mother about 4 years ago, before she disappeared. Adrien studied the picture for a minute before he heaved another sigh and fell into a chair, dropping his head into his hands.

“What am I going to do, Plagg?” Adrien felt tears pricking at his eyes and starting to wet his fingers. He shook his head, wishing all the hurt would just go away.

“ _What are you talking about, kid? I don’t really see the problem._ ” Plagg replied, his voice laced with feigned ignorance. Adrien sensed the little kwami cross his mitts, his tail swishing lazily mid-air.

Adrien frowned before snapping his head up to glare at his magical accomplice. “Are you kidding me right now? I just found out that my long-lost mother, who I thought was _dead_ , is no longer lost nor dead! Along with that, I may have just discovered Ladybug’s secret identity, that she might actually be one of my classmates that I’ve known for years! The classmate that I’ve secretly had a crush on, and it turns out that she likes Adrien, too, and… and…”

As Adrien vented about what was troubling him, he started to realize that all of these were good things, and he faltered. He looked up at Plagg and a smirk was stretched across his tiny face.

“ _So what seems to be the problem?_ ” Plagg inquired, tilting his head. Adrien had no answer, and he just looked down at his shoes. “ _Exactly. Adrien, your mother could very well be alive, and she’s here in Paris. Also, Ladybug could just so happen to be Marinette, both of which you’re crazy in love with. This is all good news, so I don’t see what the problem is._ ”

Adrien mulled over Plagg’s words, before a memory flashed across his mind. A memory of him and Ladybug being trapped in a metal container that was filling up with whipped cream… He turned his attention back to Plagg.

“Remember when we were fighting Mr. Damocles when he’d been akumatized into Dark Owl?” Adrien asked, fidgeting nervously.

“ _Yeah, I remember_.” Plagg replied, looking rather bored at that point.

“Remember how Ladybug and I got trapped in that metal box, and it started to fill up with whipped cream? Ladybug told me to close my eyes, to not say anything and to drop my transformation. She did the same…” As Adrien recounted the experience, he could see Plagg in his peripheral, ears flicking, eyes darting around frantically.

Adrien continued, “Although I had my eyes closed, and she did hers, you didn’t, did you? You saw everything. You saw her kwami, and the girl underneath the mask.”

“ _I don’t like where this is going._ ” Plagg avoided eye contact with Adrien, and tried to float away to avoid the question Adrien was about to ask, but he reached out and caught the kwami by the tail.

“Plagg.” Adrien’s hold on Plagg’s tail was gentle but unyielding. He stared at Plagg as intensely as he could, even though the kwami’s head was turned away from him.

“ _What? No, I didn’t see anything. I have no idea who she is, and even if I did, it’s not my place to tell you. You’re just going to have to wait until we defeat Hawk Moth or Ladybug herself decides otherwise._ ” Plagg tried to sound authoritative as he fibbed, but the trepidation was evident in his tiny voice. His ears flicked and his whiskers twitched.

“Tell me the truth, Plagg.” Adrien tugged on Plagg’s tail lightly to force the kwami to look at him. Plagg reluctantly complied and turned his head, one neon green eye meeting Adrien’s emerald irises. “You know who Ladybug really is, don’t you?” Plagg’s single feline eye widened, and that was all the confirmation Adrien needed.

“Am I right? Is Marinette actually Ladybug?”

 

* * *

 

    Marinette stood there, frozen, staring back at the now-conscious woman who watched her with careful emerald green eyes. She had just seen Ladybug transform back into Marinette. What was Marinette supposed to do? Interrogate the woman? Instruct her to not tell anybody? Knock her back unconscious and hope that she would forget?

    “Um… you didn’t happen to see that, did you?” Heat traveled up Marinette’s face, as apprehension clenched around her chest. She fidgeted uncomfortably, scratching the back of her head, tugging at her shirttail, avoiding eye contact.

    The woman remained quiet and unresponsive for a second before slowly nodding her head. Marinette squawked, scratching her head vigorously, starting to panic once more. Tikki flitted into sight, and managed to calm her down.

    “Tikki! She can see you!” Marinette hollered, waving her arms frantically all while looking like a deranged bird trying to take flight.

    “ _Marinette, she already saw you transform back into your civilian form, I don’t really think it matters now._ ” Tikki pointed out, shrugging.

    “Oh… right.” Marinette took a deep breath before turning her attention back to the woman who watched her warily. She made no movement, but still, Marinette felt vulnerable as the woman watched her. Why did her eyes seem so familiar?

    “Okay, what I’m about to tell you is very important, so I need you to listen very closely. Understand?” Marinette forced herself to make eye contact with the woman despite feeling like they were going to set her soul on fire. The woman blinked and nodded slowly once again.

    “What you just saw… you were not supposed to see. Yes, I am Ladybug, but no one is supposed to know that. This is because my archenemy, Hawk Moth, could use your knowledge of my identity to hurt me or others or even yourself. He could use it to gain possession of my Miraculous. I don’t want any of those things to happen, so I need you to swear to keep this a secret. Promise me you won’t tell anyone.” Marinette implored, watching the woman’s reaction to her explanation.

All she did was simply nod.

    “Okay, um… great. So, yeah, don’t tell anyone. Um, do you speak at all? Can you speak?” Marinette was already vastly uncomfortable as it was, but she felt awkward talking to someone who only replied with nods.

    The woman frowned, as if she was trying to recollect how to make her voice work. “I… I don’t remember…” When the woman finally did speak, a beautiful, soft voice emerged. Marinette gasped, surprised at how beautiful she sounded, and was even more surprised to think of a voice as beautiful.

    “You don’t remember…? Remember what? How to speak? I mean, you seem to speak just fine, so you don’t have to worry about that, hahaha...” Marinette tilted her head and chuckled awkwardly.

    “N-no… not that. I don’t remember… what happened, I don’t…” The woman frowned more deeply, bringing up a hand to rest upon her forehead, seeming to try to jog her memory. Her eyes squeezed shut and she appeared to wince in pain when her hand touched her head.

    “Oh, well, you just appeared on my doorstep, asked for help and fainted. You somehow made it up the stairs, but I brought you inside and cleaned you up. Well, rather, Ladybug cleaned you up. I’m sorry but I had to undress you to get you cleaned up properly. Anyway…” Marinette recounted the previous events, just now wondering how this woman was able to make it up the stairs with the condition she was in.

    “No, before that. I don’t know what happened, or I don’t remember… I was… lost. Wandering in darkness… pitch black darkness, for so long… I-I couldn’t see anything or anyone… I was so alone...” The woman tried to explain what happened, but tears formed in her eyes, and her voice grew thick with emotion. She clutched her arms and started to cry.

Marinette gasped, and instinctively, she ran to embrace her. She wasn’t sure if the woman was comfortable with Marinette making such intimate contact, but Marinette could tell that this woman was scared to death and felt desperately alone. Marinette just couldn’t bear to stand there and let the woman feel that way, not if Marinette could’ve done something about it. So she held her, and the woman sobbed, her whole form shuddering with such deep, sorrowful sobs, that Marinette had to hold back tears herself.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. It’s okay, you’re safe. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re safe. I’ll protect you, no matter whether I’m me or Ladybug.” Marinette spoke in the softest, most soothing voice she could as she held the woman, gently stroking her back and cradling her head. After a few minutes, the woman’s sobs slowly turned to quiet sniffles, so Marinette pulled back to look her in the eyes.

“Listen, my name is Marinette. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Since you already saw, I am also Ladybug, guardian of Paris, and this is Tikki, my kwami. She’s the one who gives me my powers.” Tikki phased into view and greeted the woman with a smile. The woman sniffed and smiled back, giving a little wave.

“ _Mademoiselle_ , do you remember anything? How old you are or where you’re from? Do you know if you have any family? What do you remember about yourself?” Marinette dug around for any kind of information, hoping to figure out just who this woman was.

Unfortunately the woman shook her head, replying with a dejected look painted across her modelesque features, “No, I don’t remember anything…I’m sorry.”

“No, no, that’s okay, it’ll just take some time.” Marinette sighed, and moved her hands to cup the woman’s, deciding that having her arms still wrapped around her might’ve been a bit awkward. “Do you at least remember your name? Does it happen to begin with a G or an E?” Marinette remembered the pendant that hung from the woman’s neck.

“My name…? G or E…” The woman looked down at Marinette’s hands, frowning once more, visibly racking her mind and looking for any bells to ring.

“You have a pendant around your neck.” Marinette released one of the woman’s hands and reached up to touch the small heart necklace at the base of the woman’s neck. “On the back, there are two initials engraved, ‘G and E’.” The woman looked down at Marinette’s pale hand as it made contact and flinched slightly. Marinette jerked her hand back and stilled, before assuring her, “It’s okay, I won’t hurt you, I promise.”

The woman relaxed and nodded. She sat silent for a few seconds, and Marinette was about to accept that the woman couldn’t remember that either, but she finally looked up at Marinette, emerald irises fixating on aquamarine.

“I remember… my name. My name… is Emilie.” She said her name with confidence, adding a definitive nod, and Marinette smiled.

“Emilie. It’s nice to meet you.” Marinette offered her free hand to instigate a handshake, and Emilie complied, smiling as she gently shook Marinette’s pale hand. Emilie’s hand felt even more delicate than Marinette’s, which was a first for Marinette, since she was so small compared to everyone else.

“Do you happen to remember your last name? Maybe we could find your family somehow. Surely, you’d have someone here.” Marinette’s hands released Emilie’s and Marinette rubbed her chin, as if it helped her to think.

“I mean, you had some sort of intuition to come to Paris, despite not being able to remember anything.” Marinette’s powers of deduction went into play, and she looked up at Emilie who still looked lost.

“My last name? My last name… I think, it started with a vowel… O? Or maybe an A?” Emilie visibly struggled once again, and Marinette just went to cup her hand.

“It’s alright, don’t worry about that now. You should probably rest, it’s getting late.” Marinette glanced at the clock on her wall, and found that it was almost 10:00 p.m.

“Actually, I’m kind of hungry.” Emilie blushed a lovely shade of pink, embarrassed by her confession. Marinette laughed, and the mood seemed to lighten, and Marinette stood.

“Okay, I’ll go find you something to eat.” Marinette turned to walk toward the hatch that led to the kitchen, but before she could, Emilie reached out to grab her hand, and Marinette turned back around to face her.

“Oh, sorry. Um, it’s just, could I go with you? I really don’t want to be alone right now.” Emilie shrunk back into the chaise, and Marinette just smiled sympathetically.

“Of course.” Marinette went to help Emilie to her feet, and when she tried to stand, she stumbled, and Marinette caught her. “Are you sure you can walk? Can you make it down the stairs?”

“Y-yeah. I mean, if I can make it up, what, four flights of stairs, surely I can make it down one, right?” Emilie wobbled as she regained her balanced, and she offered a light chuckle. Marinette smirked and just obliged.

 _She’s tough and she can still manage to smile. I like her._ Marinette was quickly warming up to this complete stranger.

The two of them had slowly but successfully ventured down the stairs, Emilie clinging to Marinette’s arm as her foot left the last step up to Marinette’s room. Marinette smiled and turned to continue the rest of the journey to the refrigerator, but stopped cold in her tracks.

Tom and Sabine both had flabbergasted looks plastered on their faces, confused as to why there was a strange woman in their apartment with their eighteen year old daughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wanted to make this chapter longer, and i was going to end it after Emilie said her name, but i felt like it wasn't long enough. (also, if any of y'all have watched the Gorizilla episode, y'all should know that Adrien's mom's name really is Emilie (; )  
> i'm not really sure how i want this whole thing to play out, but i know where i want the story to end up (kind of)  
> PS: do y'all like it better when a new paragraph has an indent at the beginning or not? please let me know :)


	8. I Remember Something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette introduces Emilie to her parents and we learn a bit more about Emilie, and she remembers something that happened to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! Sorry that this chapter took so long. I started college about a month ago, so I was preparing to leave and I've been getting used to everything and life on my own. I'm still not sure where I want this story to go, but I'm figuring it out as I write. It's a little difficult because I'm kind of following the plot as episodes in season 2 are released. Everything that's happening in this story is supposed to be taking place years later, since in season 2, Marinette and Adrien and everyone else is around 14-15, and in my AU, everyone is around 18.  
> Anyway, if you haven't seen the new episodes up to the special trilogy of The Queen's Battle (Style Queen, Queen Wasp, & Malediktator) and Frozer, then I would suggest watching those first, as all of them are mentioned one way or another in this chapter. Sorry again for taking so long to update but I hope y'all enjoy this chapter! Thanks again for reading!

**Marinette’s P.O.V.**

 

    “Marinette...who’s this?” Sabine was reading a novel before, but she had lowered it and was currently closing it as she looked to her daughter for an explanation. Tom was reading the daily newspaper and followed Sabine’s actions.

    “Uh… um… Mom, Dad, this… this is, um, my friend… yeah! My friend, um, that I met while I was… um, at a Jagged Stone concert…? I was backstage, you see, and I was helping Mr. Stone with his wardrobe, and she was his makeup stylist, and we just hit it right off, hahaha. So yeah, she and I caught up today while we were out for coffee and I invited her over.” Marinette conjured up the wildest lie she’d ever told, and while she hated lying, she wasn’t sure how to explain to her parents that Emilie had just shown up on her doorstep.

    “But you’ve only been to one Jagged Stone concert, sweetheart, and you didn’t tell us that you went backstage.” Tom tilted his head in confusion, trying to piece the whole thing together. Marinette gulped.

    “Goodness!” Sabine exclaimed as she sprung up from the couch. She had caught sight of all the scrapes, cuts, and bruises that adorned Emilie’s arms and legs, as well as the one across her cheek. “What happened to you? Are you all right?”

    “Uh, heh, yeah, about those…um.” Marinette racked her brain to come up with another fib to explain all of Emilie’s injuries. She fidgeted and scratched her head, avoiding eye contact with either of her parents. Emilie simply watched Marinette with amusement and smiled, before turning to Sabine and speaking.

    “I’m sorry, _Madame_ Cheng. The truth is, is that Marinette saved my life. I had been wandering around the streets of Paris for, I assume, the past couple days. I only assume because I have no memory of what happened to me, for however long I’ve been wandering. I stumbled upon this building and felt that I should go inside. When I reached your home, I had fallen unconscious and your daughter, Marinette, kindly brought me in. I was covered in grime and filth.”

    “That explains why our couch is ruined…” Tom muttered under his breath as he shifted uncomfortably from the plastic that he and Sabine had laid on the couch.

    “Yes, I apologize for that, _Monsieur_ Dupain. But yes, I was in a critical condition. Marinette, here, brought me in, cleaned me up, clothed me, and most definitely saved my life. I am in your daughter’s debt.” Emilie explained. She stood tall, and the way she spoke, she sounded wise beyond her years. She radiated knowledge and kindness. All Marinette could do was watch in awe, dumbfounded at how well-spoken Emilie was.

    Sabine and Tom did the same, just at a loss for words as they stared at Emilie. Sabine was the first to snap out of her stupor, “Oh. Oh, well, I’m so relieved that Marinette was here to tend and care for you.” Sabine offered a kind smile before turning to Marinette. “Marinette, why didn’t you just say so, _mon petite chou?_ We would’ve understood if you’d told us how you saved, um…” Sabine turned her attention back to Emilie. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name, _Mlle._ …?”

    “ _Bonjour, Mme._ My name is Emilie.” Emilie smiled and outstretched her hand to shake Sabine’s. Sabine warmly accepted it and shook her hand, returning the smile.

    “ _Bonjour, Mlle._ Emilie. It’s very nice to meet you. My name is Sabine Cheng, and this is my husband, Tom Dupain.” Tom had stood and sauntered over to shake Emilie’s hand as well.

    “ _Bienvenue dans notre maison,_ Emilie.” Tom’s moustache lifted as he offered a toothy grin, his ginormous hand engulfing Emilie’s petite hand. “If you don’t mind me asking, do you happen to have a last name?” As soon as Tom asked the question, both Marinette and Sabine threw him a pointed look, scolding him wordlessly.

    “Alas, _M._ Dupain, I do not remember my last name, much less anything else. I do not remember where I am from, how old I am, or even my family.” Emilie replied sadly, but a small smile still hung on her face, and she returned her hand to Marinette’s free one.

    “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry for asking.” Tom scrambled to apologize but Emilie just chuckled and shook her head lightly.

    “No, no, it’s quite alright, _M._ Dupain, you didn’t know.” Emilie reassured Marinette’s father warmly, smiling bigger.

    “Please, feel free to call me Tom. We’re quite a carefree family, so it feels a bit strange for you to be using honorifics like that.” Tom’s hand had ventured to the back of his head to scratch at his hair, chuckling awkwardly.

    “And you can call me Sabine, dear.” Sabine interjected, laying her hand gently on Emilie’s arm. Emilie began to flinch, but she accepted Sabine’s gentle touch, and relaxed.

    “Anyway…” Marinette spoke up after watching the whole exchange. “Emilie here told me that she was hungry, so I brought her down to get some food.” Marinette looked to Emilie and gave her a smile, squeezing her arm lightly to reassure her. Emilie smiled back.

    “Of course! _Oh mon dieu,_ you must be starving! Come, come, sit, please!” Sabine took Emilie’s free arm and gently led her to the small table, helping her into one of the tiny stools. Marinette watched Emilie from the corner of her eye, and despite her parent’s loving and welcoming nature, she could tell that Emilie was still nervous and quite scared.

    Emilie settled into her seat and mumbled a quiet “thank you”. Marinette took the stool next to Emilie’s and cupped her hands once more, noticing that they were shaking, hoping to calm her troubled mind. Emilie inhaled deeply, and the shaking seemed to stop. She looked up and smiled at Marinette appreciatively, sadness still lingering in her eyes.

    “You just sit tight for about ten minutes, I’m sure we can whip up something real quick.” Sabine buzzed around the small kitchen, digging through the cabinets and refrigerator. Tom had disappeared out the door and, presumably, into the bakery downstairs. It was well past 10:00 p.m. and the bakery had closed, so surely her father could just grab a few baguettes or some brioches.

    A few minutes passed, and the tiny kitchen of the Dupain-Cheng residence was filled with a heavenly aroma, and it was then that Marinette realized that she was hungry as well. Marinette’s father pushed the door open, his arms full with an assortment of breads, and as if on cue, Emilie’s stomach growled very loudly. Tom stopped in the doorway, and Sabine turned around slowly from the stove. Marinette looked at Emilie, who had the most sheepish look scribbled over her face.

    “Oh my goodness, please pardon me, I-” Emilie started to apologize, obviously embarrassed, but the three of them broke down into giggles. Sabine stepped away from the stove to prevent burning herself and Tom grasped the breads tightly as to not drop them. Even Marinette had released Emilie’s hands to cover her eyes and clutched her stomach.

    “What was that, a lion? Are you sure you don’t have some kind of animal in that stomach of yours?” Sabine teased, taking quick breaths to calm her down, but failing.

    “Oh, honey, _orange_ you glad that she’s worked up an appetite?” Tom approached the kitchen and plopped all the pastries down on the table, still chuckling.

    “Aw, c’mon, Papa! You just had to come in with the puns?” Marinette complained lightheartedly, wiping at the tears in her eyes.

    “You _butter_ believe it, Marinette! You know _olive_ a good pun, so what’s the big _dill_ ? _Lettuce_ have a little bit of fun!” Tom placed his hands on his hips as he masterfully wrapped four puns into one sentence, and all Marinette could do was lovingly roll her eyes at her goofy father. Beside her, Emilie giggled quietly, hiding behind the back of her hand.

    “Aha! You see? Emilie likes my puns! Booyah! Tom-Style!” Tom struck his signature pose whenever he did something awesome or won a game of Mecha Strike III (which was never, since Marinette was the master at that game).

    “Yes, well, _doughnut_ get too carried away there, Tom.” Emilie replied, holding her breath, snorting from trying to hold in her laughter.

    “Hahaha, yes… wait. WAIT A SECOND!” Tom gasped as the realization dawned on him that Emilie just delivered her own pun, and Emilie let her laughter loose. Sabine and Marinette rejoined in on the laughter, and Tom just beamed at Emilie, looking at her proudly like she was his own daughter. The three of them spent the rest of the night sharing laughter over a warm home-cooked meal, and Marinette noticed how comfortable Emilie looked sitting there, laughing and engaging Tom with puns. She looked like she belonged with their small family, and Marinette felt her heart swell with happiness.

    After their late dinner was over, goodnight’s were said, dishes were washed and put away, Marinette and Emilie settled back in Marinette’s room for the night. It was past midnight, and Marinette was feeling the effects of the long day starting to weigh down on her shoulders. She had changed into pajamas and was about to climb up to her bed.

    “You have such a beautiful family, Marinette.” Emilie’s soft voice arose from across the room, and Marinette turned to smile at her.

    “Oh, thank you. Yeah, I love my parents more than anything in this world.” Marinette replied and smiled fondly as she thought about her parents.

    “No, thank you, Marinette. You helped me despite not even knowing who I was. I was a stranger and you took me in. You clothed me and fed me, and treated me like I was part of your family, and I’m grateful for that.” Emilie cupped her own hands and raised her eyes to meet Marinette’s, genuine gratitude gracing her smile.

    “Marinette turned around to fully face her and returned the smile. “Oh, you’re very welcome, Emilie. It was really no trouble. I was glad to help you. As Ladybug, it is my duty to protect all the citizens of Paris.” Marinette had made her way over to Emilie as she said it, and she laid a hand gently on her shoulder. “By the way, I could tell that my parents loved you.” Marinette winked as she said this.

    Emilie chuckled, looking down at her hands. After a moment, Emilie’s smile faded and was replaced with a look of sadness. Marinette frowned and stooped down so she could face Emilie. “I… I just wish I could remember my family. Where are they? Are they thinking about me? Are they looking for me? Do I even have a family? Who am I?” All these questions poured out of her mouth, and Marinette felt a pang of sadness.

    “I’m sure they’re worried sick searching for you. Besides, they can’t be too far. Like I said earlier, you had some sort of instinct to come here to Paris, right? Don’t worry about it for now. You’ll eventually remember everything.” Marinette placed her free hand under Emilie’s chin and lifted her head to look her in the eyes. Tears had formed and a few fell from Emilie’s lashes, but she smiled appreciatively at Marinette.

    “Thank you.” Emilie reached up to grab Marinette’s hand, and as Marinette went to embrace her, she felt a strong bond forming right then and there. Emilie was trembling a bit before but it ceased after a few seconds. She exhaled a sigh of content, and Marinette pulled away to once again make eye contact.

    “Alright, I think we should get some rest now. Are you sure this _chaise_ is comfortable enough for you to sleep on? It’s pretty small for someone as tall as you.” Marinette looked over her soft pink _chaise_ , concern knitting her eyebrows together.

    Emilie chuckled and reassured Marinette, cupping both her hands and patting them gently. “This is fine. I slept on it earlier, so I’ll be alright for now, thank you.”

    “Okay, well just let me know if you need anything. _Bonne nuit,_ Emilie.” Marinette turned to approach the ladder to her bed once more.

    “Wait.”

    Marinette stopped once again, and turned back around to face Emilie. “I- I remember… something.” Emilie frowned and tilted her head, as if she was listening to something that was really quiet.

    “Oh, what did you remember? Maybe your last name or where you’re from?” Marinette guessed, hope filling her voice. Maybe we could find her family tomorrow.

    “No, I… I remember… glass. A glass dome, and blinding lights. I was… trapped. In a glass dome, with bright lights shining down on me. I remember cold metal against my feet. A cold, metal walkway leading into… darkness… Flowers. There were flowers all around me… outside the glass dome I was trapped in. There was a voice…” Emilie’s pupils had dilated, and the trembling had returned. She’d drawn her knees up to her chest and Emilie wrapped her arms around them, the color completely drained of her face.

    Marinette watched Emilie recount what sounded like a harrowing experience, and an uncomfortable shiver chilled her to the bone. Marinette was terrified just listening to the fear in Emilie’s voice.

    Emilie lifted her eyes slowly to gaze at Marinette. “Um, I know this might be a bit strange but…” She shivered once more, and she squeezed her eyes shut. “Can- can I sleep in your bed with you, Marinette?” The sheepish question tumbled out of Emilie’s mouth, and at first Marinette felt a little awkward.

    “Oh, heh. Well, um…” Marinette reached up to scratch the back of her neck awkwardly, looking away and shuffling her feet. Despite how protective Marinette felt over Emilie, she still barely knew the woman.

    “Please.” Emilie begged, a soft sob escaping her lips. Marinette looked back to her, and Emilie looked genuinely terrified. “I was trapped, all alone in that glass dome. It was so cold, and I was so scared. I don’t know how I got in there, or how I got out, but I feel like someone is going to come find me and put me back in there.” She reached up to cover her face and she shook her head, trying to dispel the bad thoughts.

    Marinette’s heart softened, and that ache of sadness returned to jab at her heart. “Of course. You can share my bed with me, Emilie.” She made her way back over to her and helped Emilie to stand. Emilie smiled with as much appreciation as she could and quietly whispered another thank you with a trembling voice.

    Once the two of them were settled into bed, and Marinette could tell that Emilie was fully asleep, Marinette simply laid in bed, looking through her hatch cover up at the stars. Just what in the world had this woman gone through? Who had done all these things to her?

    All these questions raced about her mind, and it was only a matter of time until they fatigued her thoughts, and Marinette herself drifted off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

    Gabriel stood in his office, hands behind his back, gazing at the enormous portrait of his wife hanging on the wall. Pain shot through his heart and he fought the urge to break down in tears. The harsh fluorescent lights beat down on his head, and the constant headache he harbored only grew stronger.

    “Sir?” Nathalie had walked in the room and was waiting for any sort of instruction. Gabriel didn’t bother to turn around, his gray eyes darting from each corner of the painting. “Do you need anything else?” Nathalie inquired.

    Gabriel stayed silent for a moment, just looking over the features of his wife, committing every detail of her face to memory, before speaking, “No. I’m fine for now. It’s late, Nathalie. Go to sleep.”

    “Very well, sir.” He heard Nathalie’s footsteps recede into the foyer, and the heavy door close shut behind her. The sound echoed throughout his office, the foyer, and the rest of the cold, lifeless house.

Gabriel heaved a tired sigh, and he reached up to press the secret buttons concealed within his wife’s portrait. He stepped back onto the platform that descended to the entrance of his secret lair.

    The platform stopped at the bottom, and he was met with a large, dark expanse before him. He could barely make out the outline of a metal walkway, leading farther into the darkness.

    He stared down the darkness with anger and disappointment before taking a step forward. As he made his way down the walkway, dim lights flickered on, illuminating to reveal a large corridor, and an enormous circular window at the end, the outline of a butterfly design built into the window frame.

    Beneath the window was a mass of greenery and flowers. In the middle of it all, at the end of the walkway, was a coffin. An open coffin with a glass, domed lid. All that lay inside the coffin on the plush, white cushioning, was a single bouquet of blood red roses and pure white baby’s breath. The flowers were wilted, the petals starting to fall off.

    Gabriel scowled at the shrine, resisting the tingling he felt in his arms and legs to just demolish the entire thing. _How could this have happened? Where could she have gone?_

    Ever since that incident years ago, Gabriel couldn’t bear to let her go. He loved her too much to bury her. So he kept her. When he learned that she actually wasn’t dead, but in some death-like trance, that only validated his decision to keep her sealed away in this glass coffin. She was simply slumbering in an unknown comatose state.

    When Nooroo had informed him of the absolute power he could gain from the possession of both the miraculous of creation and the miraculous of destruction, Gabriel became obsessed with the idea, in hopes of awaking his wife. But when you face failure after failure for years on end, it’s difficult to keep going.

    Several weeks ago, almost a month, there was a brief moment where he felt compelled to just give up trying to retrieve Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculouses and bring back his wife. He tried once again by bringing forth Style Queen, Queen Wasp, and Malediktator but, of course, failed each time.

    Gabriel felt as though he was to blame, for the disappearance of his wife. Even when his resolve to claim victory over Ladybug and Chat Noir had been strengthened and spoken aloud, he felt as if his earlier words of surrender cursed him.

    After the defeat of Frozer, when he’d left his lair for the night and entered the hall where his wife lay, he looked upon the coffin once more only to find that his wife was missing. The glass dome had been pushed off, and the bouquet was discarded on the floor. Frantic and hysterical, Gabriel just about tore the house down searching for her. He scoured the video recordings of the cameras that were scattered about the house, but there was no sign of her. She’d simply disappeared. So when Adrien had gone missing for a few hours that day, Gabriel just about lost his mind searching for him. He'd already lost his wife once, then again a second time. He wouldn't have been able to handle losing his son too.

    That was 3 days ago. Gabriel hadn’t akumatized anyone as Hawkmoth lately, since he saw no reason to. The entire purpose of him akumatizing people was to take Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculous. The purpose of having the miraculouses was to save his wife. If he didn’t know where his wife was, what would be the point in using the absolute power if she wasn’t there?

    Had someone come and taken her? What kind of sick person would kidnap someone in a coma? Had she awaken herself and walked out? If she had awoken, why did she feel that she had to run away? He wasn’t sure if he was happy at the possibility of her being awake, or ballistic that she was gone.

    Gabriel felt himself growing more and more livid as these thoughts crossed his mind. His fingers dug into his palms as he clenched his fists. His breathing grew uneven, and he scowled so deeply that it hurt. Finally, he snapped.

    He strode over to the empty coffin and flipped it over. The glass dome landed on the floor and cracked upon impact. The dying bouquet slipped out and more petals fluttered off. He approached the flowers and greenery surrounding the coffin and ripped away at anything his hands landed on. He lifted the glass dome with surprising ease and hurled it at the butterfly window. It didn’t go through, but it did send a giant fissure sprawling across the glass.

    Gabriel fell to his knees in exhaustion, trembling and heaving breaths. He felt tears prick at his eyes and this time he didn’t try to stop them from flowing. Hot tears streamed down his face and he allowed himself to sob.

    He rose his eyes to gaze at the butterfly window above him, watching the fissure grow larger and larger with each passing second. Eventually, huge chunks of glass came cascading down, littering the ground below the walkway, and Gabriel spoke aloud, his voice barely a whisper:

    “Where are you, Emilie?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :OO ooooooh how did Emilie manage to escape? Why was she unconscious in the first place? Well don't ask me because I don't know yet either! I have to think of how I want everything to connect xD let me know what you thought about this chapter in the comments below! It really helps me to know what I want to write and how to put my thoughts together :)
> 
> (Also, in case you don't know, Mme. means madame in French, Mlle. means mademoiselle, and M. means monsieur.)


	9. But This Doesn't Make Sense!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette learns who Emilie actually is as parts of her memories are revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't want to put too much in the chapter summary since there are some pretty critical plot points in this chapter, and I don't want to spoil it for anybody. Not that a lot of people are anticipating updates, but just in case. I could've extended this chapter by at least an extra 1000 words, but I figured I should've ended it where I did. I didn't want to drag it on too long, but this is quite a long chapter. I didn't exactly plan it to be though, but I did work really hard on it. I hope y'all enjoy it and thank you again for reading!

**Adrien’s P.O.V.**

 

    Adrien sat up in bed, listening closely, as he could’ve sworn he heard a faint _crack_ of glass somewhere. When no such noise followed, he dismissed the thought and flopped back down on his pillow. It was well past midnight, and Adrien could not get to sleep. Too many thoughts were bouncing around his head.

    _Marinette could very well be Ladybug. Marinette/Ladybug also happened to have a major, long-time crush on Adrien. Adrien’s long-lost mother (who was also supposed to be dead) was actually alive. And she was staying in Marinette’s apartment. Alive._

    Adrien squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, sitting upright. He looked over to Plagg who was snoozing away on the pillow next to his, his tiny tail swishing lazily. He was about to say something when Plagg beat him to it.

    “ _Go to sleep, kid. It’s late and you have school tomorrow._ ” Plagg didn’t bother to open his eyes to look at Adrien. “ _While I hate sounding responsible and authoritative, I hate not getting enough sleep and having to wake up early even more. And don’t you get any ideas of going out now. I’m too tired._ ”

    “How could you be tired when you’ve been sleeping, like, all day?” Adrien retorted playfully, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

    “ _It might’ve felt like an eternity to you, Adrien, but keep in mind that you just left Marinette’s house earlier_ today _. It hasn’t even been 24 hours since you saw you mother there._ ” Plagg stated this very as-a-matter-of-factly, opening one eye to stare Adrien down. Adrien’s mouth must’ve been hanging open a little bit because Plagg nodded his head slightly and replied “yeah”.

“Ugh it hasn’t even been a day?! I can’t take this anymore if this is what it’s going to be like. Plagg, please, I need to get out of here and do something.” Adrien whined, bouncing on his bed lightly.

Plagg lifted his head and gave Adrien _the look_ . Adrien looked away sheepishly. “ _Adrien. You know just as well as I do that if you go out as Chat Noir right now, that you’ll just end up at Marinette’s house, and who knows how you’ll react to seeing your mom. It’s_ not _a good idea. Please just trust me on this one.”_

Adrien threw his head back and let himself fall back down onto his bed. “I’ve had some time to think, though, Plagg.” Adrien heard Plagg mutter to himself “ _Not enough time_.” Adrien shot a glare toward his kwami, then continued.

“Plagg, if I don’t do something now, I’m going to lose my mind. Yeah, I might end up at Marinette’s house, but I bet that both of them are asleep right now. I need to make sure that I didn’t hallucinate or anything, and that my mom was actually there in Marinette’s room.”

Adrien looked over at Plagg, who was just watching him carefully. “Plagg, please. I haven’t seen my mom properly in almost 6 years.” Adrien pleaded with his kwami, feeling a lump starting to form in his throat.

Plagg simply sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head, before replying, “ _Alright, Adrien. But if you freak out, it’s your own damn fault._ ”

Adrien smiled then said his catchphrase, “Plagg, claws out.”

Bright, neon green light washed over Adrien’s entire form and in a few seconds, Chat Noir had emerged. Chat stood from his bed and sprinted toward the window, carefully opening then quietly slipping through.

Marinette’s house wasn’t that far from his own, and the trip there was even quicker as Chat Noir. He’d made the trip countless times over the past 5 years, and he’d developed shortcuts in case he ever needed to get there quickly.

In less than 5 minutes, he landed on Marinette’s balcony, perched on all fours like his heroic namesake. He stood and strode over to the hatch that led down to Marinette’s room. Thankfully, it was closed this time around, so he didn’t have to worry about tripping and falling in.

He crouched once again and peered through the glass. He could see two figures cuddled up in Marinette’s bed. One was Marinette. The other… sure enough, was his mother. Emilie Agreste.

There she was. After all these years of Adrien mourning, missing her, thinking she was _dead_ . All of a sudden, out of nowhere, she was just _there_. Right here in Paris, underneath Chat’s nose, staying in one of his best friend’s house. Blonde, young, and beautiful, just how he remembered her.

Chat had frozen once more, and all he could do was stare. His night vision made it easier to see in the dark, so he could see his mother’s features clearly. Marinette (Ladybug?) must’ve finished cleaning her up and gave her fresh, new clothes. There was a little bandage on her face, where the cut was, but his mother had a content, peaceful look upon her regal face.

Chat felt a pull in his heart, stronger than any he’d felt because of Ladybug or Marinette. A pull he hadn’t felt in a very long time, not from his father, his friends, or anyone else. One he hadn’t felt, except from his mother. Chat clutched at his chest, and his breath hitched in his throat. The lump in his throat from earlier started to reform, and he had even more difficulty breathing.

_Where was she, after all these years? If she was alive, why didn’t she come home? Did she miss me? Does she know that I missed her? Does she know that I needed her? Why did she come here to Marinette’s house instead to our house?_

Chat started to feel the frustration that had been anchored in his heart for half a decade start to rise in his chest. Tears formed in his feline eyes, and they stung against his masked face as they rolled down his cheek. Yeah, he missed his mother, but he was starting to get angry now. None of this made sense.

Before he could get angrier, he heard Plagg’s voice speak softly to his mind.

_Adrien. Calm down, it’s okay._

Chat spoke aloud, his voice reaching a shout, “No, it’s not okay, Plagg! You weren’t here when I had to _bury_ my mother! I missed her, I _needed_ her! Every child needs their mother, and for almost _6 years_ I thought mine was lost! Not just lost, but _dead_ ! I didn’t know where she was or what had happened to her, and after a year of worrying and hardly being able to sleep or eat, I PUT MY MOTHER’S EMPTY COFFIN IN THE GROUND. YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT’S LIKE, YOU HAVE _NO IDEA_ WHAT I WENT THROUGH.”

The tears had started flowing faster at that point and Chat’s breathing was uneven. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and his clawed fingers digging into his palms. A brief thought of concern crossed mind of accidentally cutting himself, but it was gone as quickly as it came.

Finally, Chat broke. He broke down into sobs. Deep, sorrowful sobs that wracked his entire being. He hunched over, his eyes squeezed shut and his teeth clenched, his hands balled into fists and he cried against the hatch. His shoulders shuddered and each inhale felt like daggers being pushed down his throat. He pounded his fists down on the hatch, over and over again, until he felt a _woosh_ of energy, and Plagg’s tiny arms placed on his cheek. Chat stopped crying for a brief second, and it wasn’t until he pried his eyes open and saw Plagg floating in front of his face, worry contorting his features, that he realized he wasn’t Chat Noir anymore, but Adrien.

Adrien frowned deeper, and he felt the chill of the wind against his skin and face, shivering. He sat up slightly, green irises fixated on glowing green scleras. Plagg flitted up to Adrien’s chest and gave him the biggest hug his tiny kwami arms could manage.

“ _Adrien, please don’t cry. You’re right, I don’t know what you went through or what it was like. Actually, I wasn’t born in the conventional way, like most things in this world are. I didn’t have a mother. I simply came into being, manifested from the existence of destruction itself. I’ve been around for millenia, and I don’t know what it’s like to have a mother. But what I do know is that I’m here for you._ ” Plagg released Adrien from his kwami hug and floated up in front of his face to look him in the eye.

“ _You’re the best Chat Noir I’ve ever served, and my best friend. I guess you could say that I even love you. I’m sorry that you had to deal with that, and at such a young age, but look on the bright side: your mother is alive. She’s right here, and she’s breathing. She’s alive and well. You’ve got your mother back. That counts for something, doesn’t it?_ ” Plagg’s ears twitched, and he tilted his head, his big green eyes glowing with sympathy and compassion.

Adrien sniffled and felt a flash of happiness and appreciation flare up in his heart. He wiped away at his eyes, and he reached out to scratch Plagg underneath his chin. “Thanks, Plagg…”The little god purred slightly, lids sliding down over his eyes.

“But… how did you cancel the transformation? I thought only the holder could do that.” Adrien’s frown returned to his face as confusion replaced his momentary happiness.

Plagg’s eyes opened again once Adrien stopped petting him, and he looked ashamed. “ _Oh, yeah, that. It’s something us kwamis call ‘sudden detrans’. It’s a rare ability that is only supposed to be used in emergencies, where we can manually cancel the transformation of our miraculous holder. We only get three in our lifetime. Well, at least me and Ladybug’s kwami do. The others only get one. If we go over our limit… well, we would die, and whatever we represent, like destruction, that aspect of life would exceed the very limits of nature, like a solar flare._ ” Plagg explained. Adrien felt a chill travel down his spine, and he shivered, both from the cold and the fear that shot through his veins.

“And… how many times before have you done that, Plagg?” Adrien folded his arms across his chest in hopes to look intimidating, but also to shield him slightly from the wind. A shadow crossed over Plagg’s already-inky visage, and his glowing eyes seemed to dim and grow a shade darker, and he looked Adrien dead in the eyes.

“ _Once_.”

Adrien sighed and looked away, relieved that his kwami hadn’t used up his last fail-safe, and he relaxed temporarily, before seizing up again when the wind seemed to blow right through him, all the way to his bones.

“So, what happened that one time before?” Adrien looked back at Plagg out of the corner of his eye, suddenly a little scared of his kwami. Plagg’s ears seemed to droop and he turned away from Adrien’s questioning eyes.

“ _I’d really rather not talk about it right now…”_ Emotion seemed to glaze over thick in Plagg’s voice, and Adrien found it best not to pry any further, so he let the topic drop. He reached inside his inner shirt pocket and pulled out a wedge of camembert. He held it up, letting the wind carry its scent past Plagg’s nose. Not half a second later, Plagg’s ears perked up, and he spun around. No words passed between them in that moment, just Adrien smirking knowingly, and Plagg zooming over to tackle his beloved gooiness.

Adrien chuckled as he watched the tiny god munch away, when his eyes wandered back down to the hatch. He gulped anxiously when he noticed the huge cracks in the glass that had formed earlier when he was pounding his fists. He didn’t know he was striking Marinette’s glass hatch.

Adrien’s eyes took their focus off the cracks in the glass, and he looked past them down into Marinette’s room. He no longer had his night vision, so he leaned forward to peer closer. He was met with his mother’s emerald green eyes staring back at his own.

Adrien yelped and fell backwards, quickly scooting to the edge of the balcony till his back was up against the railing. Plagg stopped munching for a second, and looked at Adrien quizzically.

“ _What? What is it?_ ” Plagg inquired, his tiny mouth still stuffed full with cheese. Adrien just held his breath for a second before answering.

“Plagg, you need to finish that. _Now._ ” Adrien didn’t dare raise his voice above a whisper now, and he felt a sense of panic starting to envelop him.

“ _Why? Did something happen?_ ”

“I must’ve woken my mom up earlier when I was yelling. She probably heard everything we’ve said! She just saw me looking at her, so we need to go _now!_ ” Adrien whispered screamed at Plagg, and the kwami’s eyes grew large as he struggled to swallow his last big bite of camembert. He didn’t get the chance to as Adrien heard his mother stirring below, and the hatch beginning to open.

Adrien inhaled sharply and held his breath, whispering, “Plagg, claws out!” Green light flashed and electricity tingled as Chat Noir’s suit materialized on Adrien’s body in a matter of seconds. Chat probably shouldn’t have, but he dared a glance behind him, and he immediately regretted it.

Emilie’s head was poking out of the hatch, one hand holding the door open, her mouth ajar. Chat felt his heart rate increase drastically, and he cursed under his breath. He turned back around to run, extending his baton and escaping into the night, but not before hearing his mother say one thing, effectively stopping his heart:

“Adrien?”

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Marinette’s alarm clock jarred her from her sleep, and she awoke to being alone in bed. At first, her sleep-muddled mind didn’t think much of it, until consciousness grabbed her attention, and she sat upright, looking around for Emilie.

She crawled to the foot of her bed and peered over the edge, thinking maybe Emilie was on the _chaise_ below. No sign of her. Marinette looked toward the hatch that led downstairs. It was still closed, and she couldn’t hear her parents or Emilie. Her parents were probably already down in the _boulangerie_ , serving the first patrons of the day. But where was Emilie?

Marinette looked over to her alarm clock. 7:00 a.m. Where could she be?

She flopped back down onto her bed, looking up through the hatch to her balcony. It was then that she noticed the hatch was partly open, and a draft of cold air slipped in, chilling her cozy room. Marinette shivered, wrapping a blanket around her arms, and crawled up.

She found Emilie sitting against the railing, looking as if she’d seen a ghost. She was awfully pale and must’ve been freezing. Marinette gasped and hurried over to her.

“Emilie! What are you doing up here? Why are you up so early? Why don’t you have a blanket? Or a jacket?” Marinette reached out to lay a hand gently on Emilie’s arm. When she touched her, she jerked her hand away, shocked at how cold Emilie’s skin was. “You’re freezing!” Marinette immediately threw the blanket off of her and draped it over Emilie’s shoulders, rubbing her arms to generate heat.

Emilie’s eyes remained distant, and she didn’t acknowledge Marinette’s presence at all. She stared blankly ahead, her head bobbing as Marinette rubbed her arms. Marinette looked up at her, noticing that Emilie still hadn’t reacted.

“Emilie.” Marinette called, shaking her shoulder. No response. “Emilie!” Marinette called again, jostling her shoulder harder. Still nothing. “Emilie! Look at me!” Marinette reached up and raised Emilie’s chin with her finger. Emilie’s emerald eyes seemed to find Marinette’s aquamarines and she finally focused.

“Marinette…” Emilie’s voice tumbled out on a breath. She finally took notice of how cold she was and shivered violently. She clutched the blanket and nuzzled her head into Marinette’s hand.

“Emilie, what happened? Why are you up here?” Marinette questioned her gently but firmly. Emilie sat there for a second, her eyes closed, before she looked back up at Marinette.

“I have a son. I… I’m a mother.” Emilie simply said, eyes searching Marinette’s for answers. Answers that Marinette did not have, at least she thought she didn’t.

“Oh, you remembered something? Well, that’s great! But that still doesn’t explain why you’re up here in the cold.” Marinette started to feel the chill as well, so she invited herself underneath the blanket with Emilie, wrapping it around her right shoulder and cuddling up next to Emilie with her left.

“Last night, I… I woke up. I heard someone yelling, talking to someone else, I think… there was also a banging noise on your hatch. I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or not, so I just listened for a second, but the talking eventually stopped. I was about to go back to sleep…  until I saw someone look in through you hatch, from your balcony…” Emilie recounted what apparently happened last night.

Marinette stiffened at the thought of someone spying on her and Emilie while they slept. It completely creeped her out, made her feel naked, vulnerable. Marinette tried not to let it bother her too much just yet until Emilie was done explaining.

“Did you see who it was?” Marinette was a bit scared to ask, but she had to.

“I- I’m not sure. It was dark and I couldn’t see very well, so I decided to open the hatch. Right before I opened it, there was a sizzling sound and a flash of green light. When I looked, there was a person dressed in black, crouched down at the edge of your balcony. He had blond hair, and a belt wrapped around his waist, hanging down like a tail… I think he had black, cat ears in his hair…? He looked back toward me and his eyes… his eyes were glowing green.” Emilie shuddered at the thought and continued. “Then he took out like a pole or something and ran off.” Emilie described the mystery peeper, and Marinette felt a sense of relief wash over her, as she recognized the description.

“Oh, my goodness, I am so sorry. That was Chat Noir. He’s my superhero crime-fighting partner. Well, Ladybug’s partner. I’ve known him for years, and he often comes over to visit. Usually at night, and usually unannounced. I’m sorry if he scared you. He wouldn’t hurt you, he’s completely harmless.” Marinette explained.

 _Well, not completely harmless_. Marinette thought to herself, imagining the destructive power of her partner’s Cataclysm. But she thought it best not to mention that right now.

Emilie looked at Marinette sideways, still unsure of the whole situation. “So, he has superpowers like you, too? Does he have a… what do you call it… a Miraculous?” Emilie inquired, glancing at Marinette’s earrings.

“Yes, he does, and he also has a kwami, a creature that’s similar to Tikki. Except his kwami’s name is Plagg, and Plagg looks like a tiny, black cat.” Marinette giggled at the thought of Plagg. Despite the _miraculous_ yet _total cataclysmic_ power he held, he was absolutely adorable.

“So, what, did seeing Chat Noir remind you of you son, or something?” Marinette was still fuzzy on how this connected to Emilie remembering her son, and she looked at Emilie inquisitively, tilting her head.

“Yes… it did.” Emilie regained that distant look in her eye and she broke eye contact with Marinette, looking down at her hands fiddling in her lap.

“Okay, do you remember what your son’s name is, or what he looks like?” This suspense was killing Marinette. She almost desperately wanted to know more about Emilie and her life. She leaned forward a bit in anticipation.

“Blond hair and green eyes, like me… he’s tall, too…”

“Oh, well, I bet he’s very handsome, just like you are beautiful.” Marinette offered the compliment with a smile, but Emilie didn’t take notice. “What’s his name?”

Emilie was quiet for a ten-count, before whispering, her voice barely audible: “Adrien. His name is… Adrien.”

Marinette froze, and her brain stopped along with her heart. _What? Did… did she just say Adrien?_ The name flashed in Marinette’s mind in big, red letters, and she could not believe what she’d just heard.

“I-I’m sorry, did you just say _Adrien_ ? As is _Adrien Agreste_ ? _The_ Adrien Agreste?” Marinette repeated the name of the love of her life over and over again, still uncertain of herself and Emilie.

“Adrien Agreste… yes… Agreste, that’s my last name.” Emilie turned to face Marinette, looking her in the eyes. “My full name is Emilie Agreste.” Emilie nodded her head, and she smiled. She looked so happy to remember who she was.

Unfortunately, Marinette could not reciprocate Emilie’s happiness, as Marinette was currently freaking out. “Wh-wh-WHAT?! You mean to tell me that your son is ADRIEN AGRESTE?! Super-rich and popular and handsome, teenage model?! SON OF GABRIEL AGRESTE, WORLD-RENOWNED FASHION DESIGNER, AND MY IDOL?!” Marinette stumbled over her words just as she stumbled over her feet while she scrambled to stand. She paced around her balcony, scratching her head and hyperventilating.

“Yes, Gabriel Agreste. My… husband. My husband is Gabriel Agreste.” Emilie smiled to herself, the sweetest smile Marinette had seen on her. Emilie reached up and fiddled with the pendant that hung around her neck. That would explain the G + E that was engraved into the tiny gold heart.

“Okay, so you’re _Emilie Agreste_ . Wife of _Gabriel Agreste_ and mother to _Adrien Agreste._ ” Marinette went over the facts, trying to wrap her head around everything. “But, wait a second, I thought Gabriel Agreste’s wife died years ago! If you’re his wife, and you’re supposed to be dead, then how are you here?!” Marinette was officially freaking out.

Emilie looked up at her, frowning in confusion. “Dead? I’m- I’m supposed to be dead?” Emilie shook her head, not understanding nearly half as much as Marinette.

“Either that or missing!” Marinette shrieked, waving her arms frantically. She looked to Emilie desperately for answers, but didn’t necessarily expect to get any. Emilie simply sat there, looking hopelessly lost. Marinette sighed, allowing herself to breathe for a second. She approached Emilie again, crouching down and placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Alright, let’s just, calm down for a second right now. Do you remember anything else?” Marinette looked Emilie in the eye, but Emilie quickly looked away.

“No, that’s about all that I remember.” Emilie fibbed. What Marinette didn’t know was not that Emilie saw Chat Noir on the balcony, but rather that she saw her son, Adrien, transform _into_ Chat Noir and escape into the night.

 _If Adrien is Chat Noir, and he’s a miraculous superhero like Marinette is, then I’m not supposed to know his true identity, just like I wasn’t supposed to see that Ladybug’s identity is Marinette._ This thought burned itself into Emilie’s mind, so she decided to keep her son’s identity a secret.

Marinette looked at Emilie skeptically, not believing her. Marinette hated lying, and she was a pretty good lie detector as well, but she decided to let this one slip. For now. Marinette sighed and let the topic and her hand drop. She stood and jumped when she heard the bell ring in the nearby clock tower. It chimed eight times. Eight o’clock.

“AAH! I’m late for school! Again!” Marinette shrieked, dancing on her tiptoes. “Okay! Um! I need to go, Emilie, to school. Will you be alright here by yourself?” Marinette really needed to get dressed but she didn’t want to just leave Emilie hanging.

“Yes, yes of course, Marinette. I’ll be fine. Besides, I won’t be alone, your parents are just downstairs. I can probably even help them out in the _boulangerie_ for today. Just go get ready, okay?” Emilie assured Marinette, waving her off to urge her to leave.

“Okay, I’m going now! I’ll see you later, around lunch! Um, text me if you need anything! Well, I guess you can’t, since you don’t have a phone… Just talk to my parents if you need anything!” Marinette made her way over to the hatch and was halfway in, her head still poking through the top.

“Hurry! Go, you don’t want to be even more late!” Emilie urged Marinette to go, almost standing up and pushing her through the rest of the way.

“Okay, bye!” Marinette said, one last time, before slipping through the hatch. She scrambled to get dressed, ripping her brush through her hair and quickly tying up her pigtails. She frantically brushed her teeth and zoomed downstairs, practically tumbling down all the flights. She said a quick bye to her parents, grabbing a croissant on her way out. Her parents made the best croissants in all of Paris.

She slipped into class, right after the bell rang for class to start. She wolfed down the rest of her croissant, making her way to her seat next to Alya. She passed by Adrien and offered him a smile. He smiled back and said a friendly _bonjour_ and while Marinette wanted to return the greeting, she didn’t want croissant crumbs to come tumbling out of her mouth, so she just bowed slightly. Adrien chuckled and turned his attention back to the front of the class.

Something seemed wrong. Adrien was usually quite chipper in the morning, and even though he always looked breathtaking, he looked absolutely exhausted this morning. Dark circles surrounded his eyes, his hair wasn’t as perfectly styled as it usually was, and he kept yawning about every 6 seconds. To say the very least: Adrien looked like hell.

Marinette frowned, worried about Adrien’s appearance, as it rivaled Marinette’s due to her tardiness. She swallowed her last mouthful and leaned over to Alya. “Hey, do you know what’s up with Adrien?”

 

* * *

 

Emilie had wandered back down into Marinette’s room, after getting too cold from the chilly breeze. She’d watched Marinette zoom across the street and into the school with amusement, chuckling every so often when Marinette stumbled. She found Marinette’s clumsiness endearing.

Now she sat at Marinette’s desk, looking at all the things around her room. There were multiple clothing designs scribbled on papers that were scattered across her desk and on the bulletin board hanging on the wall. Emilie noticed her sketchbook and picked it up, flipping open to the first page.

She was met with beautiful, ingenious designs, more than Emilie could count. Each one was more unique and intricate than the last, and Emilie didn’t know that she could gasp in surprise so many times in a row. Sketches of dresses, suits, hats, shirts, shoes. You name it, it was probably in her sketchbook. When Emilie got to the end, she found herself wanting more.

She closed the sketchbook and smiled, wondering what else she could look at and admire. Upon her eyes scanning the room, she took notice of all the pictures of Adrien that were plastered on the walls. Both professional and candid, Emilie noticed just how many there were. She also recalled seeing several more pinned to Marinette’s bulletin board that hung next to her bed.

Emilie stood, looking closer at all the pictures of her son. In almost every single one of the pictures, Adrien was smiling. Not a fake, carefully constructed smile, but a genuine smile, one where his cheeks pushed up and the corners of his eyes crinkled. Marinette must’ve loved Adrien’s smile. Was Marinette in love with Adrien?

She disregarded the thought for now, guessing it was best not to assume. The pictures must’ve ranged over a number of years, as she could visibly see Adrien getting older as they went on.

 _My, how my boy has grown_. Emilie thought bittersweetly to herself.

While she was happy to see that her son was thriving, she mentally cursed herself for missing what appeared to be so many years of her child’s life. She felt a lump forming in her throat and tears prick at her eyes. She inhaled deeply, convincing herself not to dwell on that now.

She continued looking, before noticing one picture of Adrien. He was wearing a shirt with the insignia of a butterfly on it. It was an advertisement for a clothing line: GABRIEL.

Emilie frowned and she found her eyes searching all the other pictures. In some form or another, the insignia of a butterfly was present in each picture. On Adrien’s shirt, jacket, pants, or shoes, it was there.

She didn’t know why, but Emilie felt panic take ahold of her heart. Her heart rate quickened, and Emilie’s breaths grew more and more shallow with the second.

 _Why? Why am I afraid? What does it mean?_ Emilie’s thoughts raged.

“What does it mean?!” Emilie spoke aloud, her voice emerging louder than she expected. She was about to ask again when the hatch that led downstairs opened, making her jump.

Sabine poked her head through, stopping abruptly when she noticed Emilie standing there. “Oh, I’m sorry, I should’ve knocked! I guess I thought you were still asleep.” Sabine apologized, looking sweetly at Emilie.

“No, no, _Mme._ Cheng, it’s quite alright. I-I’m fine.” Emilie protested politely, turning around to face Sabine and hiding her trembling hands behind her back.

“Ah, ah ah! Remember, no _madames_ or _monsieurs_ in this household. It’s simply Sabine, Tom, or Marinette.” Sabine lovingly teased Emilie, pushing the hatch all the way open and giving her a motherly look.

“Ah, yes, Sabine. Right.” Emilie chuckled nervously, still trying to calm her heart.

“I didn’t startle you, did I? Oh, I’m sorry!”

“No, _Mme._ Chen- I mean, Sabine, you didn’t startle me. I was just thinking about something…”

“Are you sure?” Sabine tilted her head sympathetically, and Emilie nodded timidly. “Oh, okay good! Well, I figured you were hungry, so I brought you some breakfast!” Sabine fully emerged from the hatch, masterfully holding a platter of food with one hand and pulling herself through with the other.

“Oh, my goodness, thank you!” Emilie was touched by Sabine’s thoughtfulness and kindness. She was constantly surprised at the Dupain-Cheng’s hospitality toward an almost complete stranger, but she wasn’t complaining. She was rather quite grateful to be so welcomed, especially since she’d felt so _alone_.

“We usually don’t get to eat together as a family, since Tom and I have to wake up early to open the _boulangerie_ , and Marinette is typically late to school. She’s often found zooming out of the house at the last minute.” Sabine chattered energetically, making her way over to Marinette’s desk and setting down the platter of food.

“Ah, yes, I see. Um, Sabine, you really didn’t have to go through all this trouble just to bring me breakfast.” Emilie felt bad since she figured how busy the _boulangerie_ could get. She felt like she was being burdensome to Marinette’s parents.

“Oh, sweetie, it’s really no trouble at all!”

“Are you sure? It must be rush hour right now. Am I not taking your time away that’s to be given to your patrons?”

“Positive, it’s actually a little slow this morning. Besides, it’s my pleasure.” Sabine offered that sweet smile again. It was really starting to grow on Emilie. Emilie smiled back and sat down at Marinette’s desk once more, taking place in front of the food.

“Okay… well then, thank you so much Sabine! This really means so much to me.” Emilie’s stomach growled loudly in response, and Emilie developed a lovely shade of pink across her face.

Sabine giggled and replied, “You’re very welcome, dear.” She grabbed the extra mug of _cafe_ that was on the platter and took a seat on the _chaise_ across the room.

Emilie looked at the platter and was met with a several pieces of bread. Multiple jams and preserves were served in tiny dishes. Blackberry, strawberry, raspberry, peach. There were squares of butter and a tiny pot of fresh honey, complete with a tiny honey wand. Off to the side, there were two pieces of _pain au chocolat_ and Emilie found herself practically drooling.

She reached for the cup of _cafe_ and took a sip. The hot drink slid down her throat and warmed her from the inside. Emilie closed her eyes and smiled, cuddling the mug closer to her chest. She felt like a queen being treated to a major feast.

After Emilie had taken a few bites, Sabine spoke up, “So what were you thinking about?”

Emilie looked up at Sabine, mouth full of _pain au chocolat_ , not sure what she was talking about. “I’m sorry?”

“Earlier, when I came in, you said you were just thinking about something. May I ask what you were thinking about?” Sabine took another sip of her _cafe_ , innocent curiosity radiating from her inquisitive eyes.

“Oh, that. Um…” Emilie thought about how to word her little unexplained freakout earlier. She couldn’t find the words.

Sabine sat there for a moment, watching Emilie try to explain herself, before interjecting, “Oh, if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. It’s really not my place, I’m sorry.” Sabine’s courtesy relieved Emilie’s restless mind.

“It’s not that, Sabine. It’s just that I’m not exactly sure to explain what I was thinking about. It- it didn’t really make sense to me at the time.” How was she supposed to explain herself when she didn’t even know why it happened in the first place? Something about that butterfly insignia terrified her, and she didn’t know what it meant.

“That’s alright, dear. If you ever need anything, feel free to talk to me, Tom, or Marinette about it.” Sabine took one last sip of her _cafe,_ and stood. “Well, I’ll leave you to finish your breakfast. I should be getting back down to the shop. Hope you find it enjoyable.”

“Thank you again, Sabine.” Emilie said graciously, cuddling her own mug of _cafe_. Sabine smiled, and disappeared down into the apartment below. As soon as she was gone, Emilie’s smile faltered. She was so grateful for the Dupain-Cheng family for taking her in and treating her like one of their own, but the fear from earlier crept back into her heart.

 _That symbol… it means something. But what exactly?_ Emilie could feel something nagging at the edge of her mind, and no matter how hard she tried to remember, the thought seemed to be just out of her reach.

She finished her breakfast slowly, seeming to not taste anything that entered her mouth, for she was delved too deep within her own thoughts to pay attention to anything else. She chewed the same bite for minutes, staring blankly ahead, trying to will her memory to return.

She heard a voice speak in her mind. It was deep and calming, but brimming with melancholy. She faintly heard another voice speaking out, this one much deeper and menacing. Cold and unfeeling, it sent terror shooting through her veins. Although it seemed like two different voices, they sounded strangely similar to the other. The same intonation, the same manner of speech, but she couldn’t for the life of her figure out why.

One word rang out clear and was present every time the menacing voice spoke:

 _Akuma_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, I could've dragged this out at least another 1000 words. The hardest part about this is writing believable transition sections that aren't repetitive. I often feel like I'm repeating myself and I just want to provide an enjoyable reading experience for y'all. Let me know what you think about this chapter in the comments below. They really help me out and mean a lot to me! Thank you so much for reading or simply leaving a kudos!


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